Destiny
by Pches
Summary: Izzy's had a hard life but u couldnt tell from her carefree, outgoing spirit. Story begins in late summer -between Twilight & New Moon- Jake's still a good kid. Bella and Edward are happy in love. Izzy moves to Forks. Lives are about to change forever.
1. Chapter 1

Isabella Luna was born on July 26, 1989 in a small hospital in Tennessee. Sometime during the night, as a baby merely a few hours old, she was left in a plastic basinet with a half-filled birth certificate application and a silver necklace with a heart pendant, 'McCarty' inscribed in the back. Her name and that pendant was all she ever got from her mother, who disappeared without ever looking back. Oddly enough, many years later, when she was trying to solve the mystery of her past, her name and that pendant were the keys to it all.

Isabella, which was such a mouthful, was the name she was called only when she was scolded, right only her ma had anymore. Izzy was what everyone called her for as long as she could remember and Izzy it would stay.

Izzy was raised in the Smokey Mountain Children's Home, orphanage only a few miles from where she was born. During her 10 years at that orphanage, she saw many babies come and go and a few toddlers here and there. Sadly everyone knew that once a kid reached a certain age; it didn't have much to look forward to. If the child wasn't adopted by the time they started school, odds were they would be in the orphanage until they became teenagers, at which point they would bounce from foster home to foster home until they turned 18 and the system tossed them aside.

Mary Fox, Izzy's adoptive mother knew firsthand the pain and suffering children in the system suffered. Mary spent the first 12 years of her life at Smokey Mountain, and the next 6 bouncing from foster home to foster home. Strong and determined as she was, Mary put herself through med school, where she met her husband Dr. Benjamin Fox. Unfortunately in their 20 years of marriage they were unsuccessful in having children of their own and finally made the decision to save a couple of kids from the hard life she endured growing up in the system. Sadly Dr. Fox passed away during the process of their first adoption, but that didn't stop Mary.

Mary's first adoption was Daniel, a thirteen year old boy with anger issues after going through as many as 8 foster homes in 2 years. A year later, set in preventing someone from going through what she and Daniel had, she adopted Marcos who was 9 at the time. 2 years later, hoping to add some sugar and spice to the house, she adopted 10 year old Izzy. Andrew was the last to join their home, adopted a year after Izzy and a few weeks before his 10th birthday.

It was no surprise that the kids had major issues to get over, but with Mary's love and patience they all did. It didn't take them long to become a family. The kids became brothers and sister and loved each other as such. Mary was the only mother they knew, the love and devotion she had towards them was more than any real mother would give them and because of that she was 'ma' to them, their mother.

Unlike her brothers who were abandoned or given up without as much as a name, Izzy did have something to go with. When she was 13 Mary helped her solve her life-long question 'where did I come from?' It was only logical the first name they would search would be Isabella McCarty. They never imagined it would be that easy to find her great-grandmother. Unfortunately she had passed away during childbirth in 1954. Finding records after that was quite easy. Her great-grandmother had died having her grandmother Isabella Moore, who they were never able to locate, but they did find she had given birth to Isabella Ambrose in 1974, Izzy's mother. It's usually at that point most go through the 'what do I do now' dilemma, Izzy didn't get that moment, seconds after finding out who her mother was, she found out her mother had passed away a couple of years after Izzy's birth. She was unable to hold the tears in when she read the newspaper clipping.

**DRUNK DRIVER SLAMS INTO COLLEGE STUDENT'S CAR AFTER RUNNING RED LIGHT AT 90MPH**

- Isabelle Ambrose (19) and her high school sweetheart Adrian Luna (20) both students of Cal State San Francisco were killed instantly last night when George Lansky (54) fell asleep at the wheel while intoxicated, slamming into the small car head on at full speed. Lansky was taken to the hospital following the accident, where he's been in a comatose state.

Izzy didn't get a family, but she already had one and had never been looking for another one. She was looking to find her history and that she did. Her mother Isabella Ambrose had been only 15 when she gave birth to her. Her high school sweetheart has been Adrian Luna. Luna, the last name her mother had given her. Didn't take a genius to figure out who Izzy's father had been. Her name Isabella had been passed on from daughter to daughter throughout generations, and it was nice to know her mother cared enough to give that name to her, even if she couldn't take care of her, but what 15 year old could.

Just when she was closing that chapter in the book of her life, Isabella Salvatore, her great-great-grandmother showed up at Izzy's front door. It took one look from Mrs. Salvatore to know Izzy was family; claiming Izzy was a spitting image of her when she was her age. Isabella Salvatore was a typical oldschool Italian woman, family was of upmost importance and she wanted to know everything there was to know about her. Izzy spent that summer in her great-great-grandmother's estate in Tennessee, getting to know her and learning about her family's history. Mrs. Salvatore didn't expect to take Mary's place but she did ask her for one favor, for Izzy to the McCarty name in her daughter's honor. Izzy became Isabella Luna McCarty. Two days before Izzy was to fly back to Mary and her brothers, Mrs. Salvatore passed away peacefully in her sleep.

Mrs. Salvatore left her estate, her properties and all of her assets to Izzy. For someone who grew up with nothing, money didn't have much importance. Yeah she had enough money to never have to worry about it, but the best thing that old lady gave her was her acceptance, her history and a letter that she would cherish forever.

Mary placed most of Izzy's money in a trust fund she'd be getting on her 18th birthday but she did give her a pretty good allowance and when it was time, she was ok with her buying any wheels she wanted for her 16th birthday. Of course she had no clue those wheels would be a motorcycle, but not just any motorcycle, the 2006 MV Agusta f4cc, a 6 figure black piece of art that went from 0 to 60 in 2.3 seconds and reached speeds of 200mph. She was sure to get an earful but it was worth it. She knew her brothers would love the bike, but overprotective as they always were, they wouldn't be too happy with her being the one riding it. Of course Izzy wasn't one to back down, ever, so they would have to get used to it whether they liked it or not.

... ***** ... ***** ... ***** ...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...******...*****...*****...*****...******...*****...*****...******...*****...*****...******...

The year 2005 started out with a bang. First thing in the morning on New Year's Day, D (Daniel), her oldest brother, who was in the marines, called to let the family know he was being deployed to Iraq. From that day on, the entire family gathered before going to bed and prayed he'd be safe and make it home that way. A couple of months later Mary got offered a job at the Forks Hospital in some little town in the always rainy Washington.

Mary moved to Forks with Andy (Andrew) and Mark (Marcos) in early June. Izzy was the only one who made a fuzz about moving during the summer and just before her Sweet 16. Mary was cool enough to let her stay in San Diego with her bestfriend Ariel until summer was over and it was time to start her junior year. Convincing her to allow her drive to Forks alone was a lot harder but eventually she caved as Izzy knew she would.

Her Sweet 16 was nothing more than a few girls having a wild and crazy sleepover at Ariel's beach house but the sweetest part of turning 16 was getting her driver's license. Knowing Mrs. Duval, Ariel's mom would ratt Izzy out about the motorcycle, Manny, D's bestfriend, who had taught her how to ride a bike in the first place, hid the bike at his house until it was time for her to ride it to Forks. Sneaky as she was, Izzy told Ariel's mom her 'wheels' would be delivered the day before her departure, which she had strategically chosen the weekend Mrs. Duval had to fly to New York for a conference.

On Thursday morning the movers picked up all of Izzy's stuff from Ariel's pool house. That afternoon Mrs. Duval flew to New York. That night Manny dropped off her bike. Friday morning Izzy was on her way to Forks. Knowing Mary would be worried sick and expecting to her to stop every few hours and call her with an update, Izzy told everyone she wasn't going until the following week.

The ride to Forks wasn't so bad. Izzy made sure to stop to pick out a safe motel (with a hot tub to relax in) and pulled in before it got dark. After an enormous dinner and couple of hours of soaking in steamy bubbly water, she melted into bed for a good night's sleep. Even though she overslept, it would be ok because she would make it to Forks just as the sun set. After a quick shower and a mountain sized brunch, she was back on the road.

As planned, it was just after 6pm when Izzy reached Forks. It was a small little town in the middle of the woods. And from the looks of it not much happened around those parts because it seemed like the circus had arrived town when she drove by, everyone and their momma came out or peaked outta windows to see the mysterious rider in the black motorcycle. She couldn't help but laugh imagining the shock they were gonna get when they found out it was a girl.

Mary was sitting on the porch, sipping on a cup of tea, not expecting anyone to show up. The look on her face when the bike pulled up on her driveway was priceless. Mary's arms where around her before she could even get her helmet off.

"**Isabella Luna McCarty"** she scolded with a tight hug **"A bike? No wonder you kept it a secret. I'm so glad you're here though, honey. You're safe and in one piece but we're definitely talking about this later, young lady**

"**Nice to see you too, Ma"** Izzy laughed **"And you said any wheels I wanted, can't back out now"**

"**You're gonna be the death of me"** she shook her head in what Izzy knew was defeat.

"**Where are my brothers?"**

"**Mark has become really good friends with some boys from the Quileute reservation in LaPush" **Ma answered. Izzy knew from previous conversations that LaPush was about 15 minutes from there **"They're having some sort of party and Andy's dj'ing so they left early to set up and stuff. But you can see them later"** she said pulling her in the house **"You need a shower and a hot meal"**

Nothing hits the spot like some home cooking. While having a large plate of Ma's homemade lasagna and garlic knots, they caught up on everything that had happened during the summer. Ma talked about the hospital and the ruckus Mark and Andy had been causing in Forks and LaPush and Izzy talked about the latest beach news and all her summer adventures.

"**Why don't you head out to that party, honey"** Ma suggested **"You can see your brothers who've been dying to see you and you can meet some of the local kids"**

"**I don't know, Ma" **Izzy scrunched up her nose **"I can't just show up uninvited"**

"**I'm supposed to pick them up later"** Ma smiled **"You can say I sent you too early" **when she saw Izzy was not too fond of the idea she pulled the ace out of her sleeve **"There's some very cute, very single bo-oys"**

"**Will I get lost?"** Izzy smirked, causing Ma to smiled in triumph

"**Psh!"** Ma rolled her eyes **"No way you can get lost around here, there is one road in and out of the rez. Besides, it's so quiet around here you can hear a pin drop, sounds of a party are probably gonna be heard all the way over here"**

Finding clothes to wear to the party was not easy. All her stuff was still on its way from San Diego, only thing she found was a box of old clothes of hers Ma was gonna donate. It was all stuff at least a year or two old but luckily she was able to find a black ruffled skirt she wore to a quinceanera once almost 2yrs prior. At that point the skirt ended just above her knees, two years later the skirt came to her thighs. Rummaging through Ma's closet she was able to find a black tank top that went nice with it, however she would not wear the flats Ma suggested, instead she went with the white with black oldschool Adidas Izzy had made her buy long ago and Ma had only worn once or twice. After a shower, Izzy got dressed up, took Ma's car and headed to LaPush.

*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*

Jake was never big on parties but it was Embry's birthday and he couldn't leave his best friend hanging. Embry and Quil had been going on and on about the party for weeks. Apart from the kids from school, Mark and Andy, who had been cool friends with them since they met them surfing at First Beach at the beginning of summer had invited some kids from Forks, more specifically and most importantly for Quil and Embry, they had invited girls from Forks.

The guys had been egging Jake on about finding a girlfriend, but as his best friends they knew well he only had eyes for one girl, Bella Swan. Unfortunately Bella saw him as a kid, worst than that, she saw him as her kid brother. All she ever saw was that pale, over-gelled pretty boy Edward Cullen. Maybe the guys were right and it was his lucky night. Yeah right, like Jacob Black had that kinda luck.

Mark, who was almost 6 feet tall with dark spiky hair, medium complexion and big brown eyes, was pretty funny and outgoing, he fit right in with Quil and Embry but Andy, who was about 5'8, dark blonde, light skinned with big blue eyes, was a pretty quiet kid. He and Seth hung around more and Jake could see how they got along so good, they were alike in many ways. It surprised him when he mentioned Dj'ing had been a hobby of his, and volunteered for Embry's party. Jake was happy Mark and Andy showed up early to set up the dj'ing station caused they helped with the rest of the set up and got Jake out of it.

By the time Jake arrived to Embry's house, the party was in full swing. The thumping music could be heard throughout the rez and when he got there it was obvious Mark and Andy delivered, there were plenty of Forks girls dancing away as Andy did his thing in the porch. With one hand on his earphones and another on the turntables, he looked up for half a second and nodded with a smile to Jake before spinning away.

As he had expected, Mark was dancing with some girls while Embry and Quil stood in the gateway, greeting people, obviously too scared to actually approach a girl.

"**You're the birthday boy, aren't you supposed to be dancing?"** Jake teased Embry

"**Later"** Embry lied

"**We're greeting people"** Quil added

"**We?"** Jake laughed **"It's his party, dumbass, you aint got nothing to do with it"**

"**Shut up, Black!"**

"**You're just looking for an excuse to get outta talking to the girls"**

"**Says the guys who shoo's away all the girls at school"** Embry cocked his brow

Jake was about to tell them off when his attention was called down the street. Walking towards the house was a girl he had never seen before, something that never happened. When living in such small towns as Forks and LaPush, everyone knew everyone, even if they didn't know each other personally; they'd at least seen each other around. Jake looked at Quil and Embry who shook their heads at him, answering his silent question, they didn't know who she was either.

The girl was about his age, pretty tall for a girl, maybe 5'9, chestnut hair that ended just above the small of her back, sunkissed skin, big green eyes, cute little nose and pouty lips, banging body with curves in all the right places and long toned legs she was showing off with a short skirt. There was no other word to describe her but gorgeous. The realization that he found her gorgeous startled Jake. First of all it surprised him that he even noticed her when he'd spent the last 3 months in a Bella-daze, even more surprising was that physically she was the polar opposite of Bella and yet he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"**Excuse me, where can I find Mark**?" she asked a group of kids that were gathered a few feet from the gate

"**He's dancing in there"** one the kids answered, pointing to Embry's front yard where all the kids were dancing.

It was obvious everyone was looking at her with the same curiosity Jake was. There was a large group of kids bundled up right outside the gate and as she struggled her way to get through, no one moving out of her way, too busy gawking, he was tempted to push them outta her way.

A second later he was so glad he didn't. She was so preoccupied with making sure she didn't bump into anyone, she didn't notice the ground was uneven and tripped a step away from the gate, her stumble bringing her straight into Jake.

He stabled her with a gentle grasp of her elbow but let go immediately after he knew she wasn't gonna fall. In her efforts to catch herself, she ended up placing her hands on Jake's chest, hands she had yet to remove.

"**I'm sorry"** she smiled up at him. Her jade-green eyes were even prettier up close and her scent was clean and crisp, like pears. Jake suddenly realized her hands were still on him and he felt his cheeks redden as he looked down at his chest. She followed his eyes and quickly removed her hands **"Oh my god, I'm so, so sorry" **she said hiding her hands behind her back, thinking Jake's silence was due to annoyance and not nerves.

"**It's ok"** he smiled at her. The smile she gave him in return had him feeling all funny inside.

Jake completely ignored the two dumbasses in front of him, staring with mouths wide open. He was busy working up the nerve to introduce himself and ask her name when it happened.

"**IZZY!"** Mark yelled

She snapped her head around and with a smile from ear to ear they ran to each other. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arm around her waist, picking her up and spinning her around in circles.

Jake felt like someone had punched him in the gut.


	2. Chapter 2

Jake was confused, understatement of the decade. He couldn't figure out why it bothered him so much to see her, Izzy, her name was Izzy, twirling around in the air, as happy as can be in Mark's arms. The kid was good looking and the fact that he was new in town had all the girls interested, he had a right to have a hot girlfriend, but why did it have to be precisely this hot girl.

"**I missed you, kid"** Mark smiled, placing a kiss on her forehead. _Ok, weird _**"But what are you doing here? Ma didn't tell us you were coming"**

"**You know me"** she smiled** "I love surprises"**

**"As long as they're not for you" **he said placing his arm around her shoulders.

"**Izz!"** Andy yelled before running over to do the same twirling thing Mark did. **"I missed you so much, sis"**

_Sis? Is that their sister?_ Jake suddenly felt hope and he didn't understand why that pleased him.

"**Missed you too, baby blue" **she smiled, grabbing his face and planting a kiss on his forehead** "Now get back to your thing, no good dj runs out of his booth"**

"**Gotcha" **he smiled** "But you're staying, right?"**

"**Gotta, I'm your ride home"**

With a huge smile on his face, the kid ran back to spinning thumping music, even though most had placed dancing in the back burner and were busy staring at what seemed to be a reunion scene between siblings, or at least that's what Jake hoped.

"**And here I thought the kid and I were getting close" **Mark joked

"**I bet you are"** she smiled **"But the relationships you guys have with me are different than the ones you have with each other"**

"**That's only cause you're our 'female behavior 101' tutor"** he laughed

"**Is that right?"** she shoved him playfully

It didn't take long for kids to start approaching Mark and Izzy for whatever reason they could come up with. A huge smiled crept up on Jake when he heard Mark introduce Izzy as his little sister. With a head tilt Mark called Embry over. Quil immediately followed.

"**Move and you die, Ateara**" Jake threatened.

"**I wanna meet her too"** Quil smiled, dodging Jake's grasp.

With a death glare and a mental note to kill him later, Jake saw Quil follow Embry, walking up to Mark and his beautiful sister, who was genuinely smiling at everyone. Unlike Bella's smiles, Jake thought. _Why are you comparing, Jacob? So you noticed she's beautiful, that only makes you a guy, dumbass, don't read much into it._

"**This is my sister Izzy, this is Embry, the birthday boy" **

"**Happy birthday"** she smiled with a hug **"I hope you don't mind me crashing your party"**

"**We don't mind **_**at all**_**" **Quil smiled** "And I'm Quil by the way" **he added extending his arm** "Quil Ateara"**

"**Izzy"** she smiled, trying not to laugh as she shook his hand **"Izzy Luna"**

Embry and Quil looked back at Jake, who instantly looked away as if he was concentrated on something else. Of course he fooled no one but at least they didn't yell at him to go over.

"**Are you gonna go back to San Diego or are you staying for good?"** Embry asked

"**She's back for good, right?"** Mark said

"**Yeah"** she nodded **"I'm here for good. I'll be starting Forks High in a couple of weeks"**

"**Too bad it's not at the rez" **Quil smiled

"**I'm just hoping they're friendly" **

"**Oh, they will be"** Mark said not too happy about that.

Jake was not too happy about that either. Maybe it was the fact that she was able to call his attention when so many other girls had not, or because she was new and unknown but Izzy pulled him in a way only Bella had. But Bella started as a crush when they were toddlers and only got stronger through the times he saw her in years after, Izzy was someone he hadn't even spoken to, hell she was someone who probably hadn't even looked his way.

Jake was pondering over the reasons why this girl could call his attention so much when his current attention was called by some guy's voice.

"**You wanna dance?"**

He couldn't understand how, but even though he wasn't looking at her, he knew who the question was geared to.

"**Oh"** Izzy said a bit startled **"Um… first dance is for the birthday boy**" she smiled **"Maybe later"**

The guys turned out to be Levi, a kid in Jake's science class. He and Jake were not exactly friends but he never had anything against the guy either, however Jake couldn't help but laugh at the disappointment that crossed his face when he got turned down.

"**Come on"** Izzy smiled, taking Embry's hand **"You'll dance with me, right?" **Embry was frozen in place. His big canoe feet planted on the ground firmly though his knees weren't as much. It took a poke from Quil for him to close his mouth and slightly nod, she laughed **"Is that a yes?" **

Embry had to clear his throat before giving her a shaky **"Yeah"** she tried pulling him but he didn't budge so she turned to him a bit confused **"I don't know how to dance"**

"**Everyone can dance"** she smiled **"You just move to the rhythm"** she shrugged **"If that don't work that we jump around like dorks and not give a damn what everyone else thinks"**

Mark and Quil laughed, as did Jake, Embry laughed as well but it was obvious he felt a lot more at ease. When the music started it was evident Embry wasn't playing about the 'can't dance' part, the kid had two left feet. Izzy tried to coach him for a while but ended giving up and they jumped around like dorks as she had called it. At first the other kids looked at them like they were crazy but probably thinking it was some kind on new dance trend for the cities, everyone ended up jumping around like crazy people. It was hilarious.

Jake spent the rest of the party hanging out with Andy, staying away from Quil and Embry, who spent the night dancing with Izzy and other girls she set them up with. Izzy spent the party dancing with Mark, Quil and Embry, so often she would dance with a guy who'd ask her but quickly found her way to her original trio. Jake wanted to meet her, of course he did but was sure to stutter like a moron or just stare like he had before, and with all of LaPush's teen as witnesses. They were sure to run into each other later on, Jake would make sure of it.

... ***** ... ***** ... ***** ...

(Several days later)

Forks was a small little town but it seemed to have just about everything anyone could need. Of course it was just her luck that what Izzy needed was precisely what was unavailable, an auto shop. After the long ride from San Diego, her bike needed a tune up and oil change but she had spent two days combing the town in search of a mechanic and came up empty. When she finally asked around, she was told closest shop was in Port Angeles but it wasn't highly recommended, apparently, knowing he was the closest option, the guy charged and arm and a leg for his services, which weren't too good.

Izzy pulled up to the driveway, not to happy about having to go to Seattle for a mechanic that she didn't even notice someone was sitting in the patio steps. It wasn't until she took her helmet off that she noticed Andy was hanging out with some other kid.

"**Hey, Izz"** Andy smiled **"This is my friend Seth"**

"**Hi"** smiled a tall Indian kid **"You're bike's awesome by the way"**

He looked a lot like Quil and Embry but a few years younger and a few inches shorter. He was still tall, about 6 feet but compared to Andy's 5'8 he looked huge.

"**What do they feed you boys at the rez?"** she laughed **"You're all so tall. If all the boys in LaPush are this tall and cute, I'm changing schools"**

"**I see you met the guys" **Seth blushed a little.

"**Yeah"** she nodded **"At Embry's birthday party the other night"** she said opening the front door **"Well, I'll leave you two to do whatever it was you were doing, I gotta go google some mechanics in Seattle"**

"**What for?" **Andy asked **"Is something wrong with the bike?"**

"**Nah, but it needs some maintenance after the long rid, there's no shops here and the one in Port Angeles apparently is no good so I got no choice but to take it to Seattle"**

"**You know what?" **Seth said **"Jake's a pretty good mechanic, everyone in LaPush goes to him"**

"**Jake?"**

"**Yeah, Jacob Black" **Andy said** "You remember the guy you ran into when you tripped?"**

"**I remember"**

_How can I forget? _She never got to know his name at the party though she was dying to know. Quil and Embry were cute but Jake was absolutely gorgeous, very tall, past six feet, about 6'5 maybe, big black eyes, russet skin, cute little button nose, pouty lips, killer smile, nice muscles and long black hair he tied up with a rubber band. Izzy had never been a fan of long hair on guys but if anyone could change her mind on that, it was him. Even though his boys spent the party with her, he never walked over, she couldn't help but wonder if it was because he thought she was gonna plow him over again.

"**Jake's always in his garage fixing something or other with Quil and Embry"** Seth smiled **"I bet he wouldn't mind taking a look at your bike"**

"**You got nothing to lose" **Andy shrugged

_Getting to see Jake again, having an excuse to talk to him, getting my bike in top notch, not having to ride to Seattle, I'm in!_

"**Sure, it wouldn't hurt to stop by"** she said coolly.

"**I can show you the way, if you want"** Seth offered

"**It's ok"** she smiled **"I remember how to get to Embry's house, just tell me where to go from there"**

"**It's just a few block south from there"** Seth answered

"**It's a red house"** Andy smiled **"You can't miss it"**

Claiming she was gonna eat something before heading to LaPush, Izzy ran to her room upstairs and changed. She was already wearing a black muscle shirt and the oldschool adidas Ma had given her, but since she was probably gonna be sitting in a greasy garage, she traded her denim jeans for black ones (just as short of course). She brushed her hair, freshened up her makeup and sprayed body mist before running out the house and heading to the Black house.

Finding the house was easy. Getting the nerve to walk up to it was the hard part. After inhaling deeply and exhaling sharply a few times, she finally placed her helmet on the handle, let her hair out of the pony tail and walked ever so slowly to the front door. A few seconds after her light knock a man in a wheelchair appeared at the door.

"**Can I help you?"**

"**Hi"** she smiled nervously **"I'm Izzy…"**

"**Mark and Andy's sister" **he interrupted **"Heard a lot about you" **he smirked. She couldn't help wonder from whom, her brothers or Jake **"I'm Billy, Jake's dad"** he smiled

"**Nice to meet you"**

"**I'm sorry, honey, but your brothers aint here"**

"**No" **she said a bit shyly **"I was looking for Jacob"**

She figured it wasn't right to call him Jake since she didn't really know him. If she felt embarrassed before, the smile that crossed Billy's face had her turning various shades of red for sure.

"**He wasn't in the back?"**

"**Um, I didn't go back there" **

"**Don't be shy, sweetie"** he smiled **"Go on ahead. That kid is always back there"**

Walking over to the garage was even scarier than walking to the house. There had always been the possibility he wasn't home, but she knew he was in the garage, the music coming from the homemade, shed-like garage confirmed that. She ran her fingers through her hair to get rid of helmet hair, or at least try and then with a deep breath walked into the garage. There was music playing and a half built Rabbit but no Jake.

"**Hello"** she called out **"Hellooo!, Anyone here?"** she said walking in further **"Guess not"**

She turned around and walked into a wall, a human wall, Jake.

"**Hey"** he smiled, causing her to jump, and squeal a little** "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you"**

"**No, I'm sorry" **she said holding her chest, hoping to keep her heart on the inside of her body **"I didn't hear you walking behind me"**

"**You always seem to run into me, literally" **he chuckled

"**Yeah"** she laughed **"Just push me the other way next time"**

"**I wouldn't do that"** he said with a smile that didn't help with the heart beat situation.

"**Sorry for walking in here. Your dad said it was ok"**

"**It is. But your brothers aren't here"** he smiled. _He needs to stop smiling at me like that_

"**I know, I was looking for you"**

"**For me?"** he said completely shocked

"**Heard you were good with your hands**" she smiled. His eyes couldn't get any wider. **"Automotive-wise?"**

"**Oh" **he said, blushing a little **"Yeah, a little. You need a mechanic?"**

"**I rode my bike here from San Diego and it needs a little tlc" **she nodded

"**You ride? A motorcycle?"**

"**Ye-ah"** she answered. The little eyebrow cock thing he did was surely his way of dealing with the shock.

"**Ok"** he nodded **"I can do that. Let's get your bike"** _There's that smile again_

"**Its outside"**

When they walked out for the bike it was obvious he knew about motorcycles. For someone unfamiliar to them, her bike was just cool bike, fast and shiny, but those who knew were in awe over it because they understood what it really was.

"**Imma enjoy doing this"** he said, drooling over it as he rolled it to the garage.

"**Mind if I hang around and learn a little?"** she asked **"I wanna be able to do this on my own someday"**

"**Only if you're my assistant" **

"**No prob"** she smiled **"I used to do it all the time with D"**

"**D?"** he asked with buried brows.

"**Daniel, my big brother. I used to assist while he fixed cars all the time before he went to the Marines"**

"**Wow"** he tilted his head slightly **"I didn't think of you as a girl who rode bikes or got all greasy fixing cars"**

_Oh my God, he was thinking of me!_ On the inside, Izzy was doing her happy dance, on the outside she was trying to act cool.

"**Really?"** she smiled **"So what **_**did you**_** think of me?"**

He smiled and looked away without answering her question. _Damn!_ He was gonna get to work on the bike right away and Izzy helped him set up. Unfortunately apart from some instructions, Jake wasn't talking much. She was about to say something, anything when he beat her too it.

"**It was really cool what you did with Embry. Most girls don't do that"**

"**Most girls care too much what others think of them. I obviously do not"** she smirked pointing to the bike **"A girl who rides bikes, likes to get rough and get dirty and hangs out with boys? People start talking and it aint exactly nice. I simply stop caring" **she shrugged **"I decided Imma have fun and be myself The people who matter, love me just the way I am"**

"**I can see why" **he said with one his breathtaking smiles

_Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Is he flirting?_There was a million things she wanted to do at that moment, but she played it safe and just smiled, praying she wasn't flashing a red display in her cheeks.

They spent the rest of the afternoon doing 'prep' work since they had to go buy the things necessary for the actual doing. Jake took his time, being a very thorough and patient instructor and Izzy couldn't be more glad. Not cause she was learning a damn thing, but because she got to hang out with him. They even shared a pizza for dinner before Mark picked her up. But not before they agreed to a date the next day. Too bad it was only to go to the auto shop in Port Angeles and to actually get to work on the bike. Maybe she could get to work on having another kind of date.

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **PHOTOBUCKET **and search **DESTINYSTORY** under **PEOPLE**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYSTYLE . BLOGSPOT . COM**


	3. Chapter 3

Ma didn't have a problem lending Izzy her car for the Port Angeles trip. As a matter of fact, no one really cared about her trip with Jake. There were no subtle hints from Ma, no teasing or joking from her brothers, everyone took it like whatevers, too much in her opinion. Maybe she was the only one making a big deal out of it, to them it was probably completely normal to take your mechanic to buy auto parts, in reality it was, problem was Izzy had the hots for her mechanic. Of course she wasn't gonna tell them that.

No matter how hard she tried, Izzy couldn't manage to fall asleep, she spent hours tossing and turning. She laughed remembering she had been the exact same way the night before her first date. There was one huge problem with that. _This isn't a date, dork. You're just going to the neighboring town for some parts_. She couldn't stop thinking of Jake. She closed her eyes, trying to force herself to fall asleep but all she accomplished was to fantasize how their day would go if she lived in a perfect world. In her world she would return home as Jacob Black's girlfriend. _Girlfriend! Oh my god, what if he has a girlfriend_?

In the hours they spent together the subject of significant others didn't come up. The fact that he had no problem being alone with her for so long was a good indication that he was single. She knew well guys with girlfriends, or at least most, knew better than to be hanging around other girls, especially alone. She was hoping that was the case, if not, oh well, she would find out soon enough.

Since sleep was outta the question she got up and tiptoed to her closet, silently pulling out her boxes of clothes that had arrived from San Diego that morning. She needed to be sure to move quietly because her brothers' rooms were downstairs, if they heard noise coming from her room in the middle of the night, they'd run up in a flash to find out what was going on, she certainly didn't need that. She didn't worry about the lights cause they couldn't see them from down there, the only other room upstairs was Ma's but Izzy doubted even she could see them either since her door was across the staircase and both doors were shut.

From the moment Izzy moved into Ma's house, the girls' bedrooms were always upstairs while the boys took the lower floor. The guys claimed it was for protection purposes, they somehow got it in their heads that the girls were safer upstairs. They reasoned that if someone were to break in, it was likely they did it from downstairs, therefore they'd have to get through them first. Izzy was around 11 when they first explained it to her and she couldn't help but laugh and wonder how a trio of scrawny 17, 12 and 10 years olds could protect anything, but she just figured it was to make sure the girl in the house, Izzy, wouldn't sneak out, or sneak in anyone at night, boys to be specific.

Izzy quickly learned it was to her advantage to be upstairs; the boys didn't bug her. Since they had to intentionally go up the stairs to get to her room, they had to have a valid reason, which they rarely did. Being the only sister had its perks, the room for instance. Their new house had two master bedrooms, both upstairs, that meant Ma had one and Izzy the other. Each room had its own bathroom and walk-in closet. The staircase separated the rooms so even though it was in the house, it was kinda like having her own little loft.

An hour later Izzy was sitting legs crossed on the floor, little mounts of clothes all around her. She couldn't come up with the right outfit to wear. She wanted to find something that was cute but not too cute. Her goal was to look like she just threw something on and it happened to look awesome. _Yeah right._ Finally accepting there was no such thing, she decided on button up khaki shorts, a black tan top, a tan cardigan since the summer in Washington was nowhere near as warm as San Diego's, and black Pumas.

With no energy to pick up, she pushed the piles of clothes into the corner and plopped on the bed, finally drifting into slumber at nearly 5am. By quarter to nine, Izzy was under the hot water, hoping to shower away the dark circles under her eyes. Showered, dressed and with her hair straightened and make-up done, she ran down the stairs. After a quick breakfast, she slid her debit card and driver license in one pocket, cell phone in the other, placed a scrungee in her wrist, grabbed Ma's car keys and ran out the door. As agreed, she was at the Black's house by 10am.

Jake was sitting on his front step when she drove up. He was wearing some dirty blue jeans, a grey t-shirt that he was definitely outgrowing, very nicely in her opinion, and black boots he had obviously slipped on cause the laces were undone and loose. As usual half of his hair was pulled back with a rubber band. He smiled as she parked Ma's Nissan.

"**You drive"** she said tossing the keys as he walked up

"**I would"** he smiled as he caught them **"But I can't"** he pouted jokingly, returning the toss **"I don't have a license yet"** _Yet? Whoa!_ Her look must've been easy to read **"Not till January"**

"**You're 15?"** she asked in shock. He nodded a little embarrassed. **"Ha ha"** she teased **"I'm six months older than you" she **singsong as she stuck her tongue out.

"**Well I'm like 8 inches taller than you"** he smirked, returning the tongue gesture as he got in the passenger's seat.

"**So?"** she laughed, getting back in the car **"I'm still older"**

"**You drive stick too" **he said a little impressed as he eyed the gear shifter.

"**I got all kinds of skills you don't know about"** she smiled. He laughed and shook his head.

The drive to Port Angeles went by pretty fast. They took turns choosing the music and talked about their childhoods. He'd been born and raised in LaPush and hadn't gone any further than Seattle in all of his life. He was curious about her upbringing in Tennessee and San Diego and was shocked to find out she and her brothers were all adopted and not blood related at all.

Jake would laugh as she danced, claiming they way she drove should be considered illegal. He cracked up when she'd sing Kelly Clarkson's 'Since You've Been Gone' at the top of her lungs and completely off-key, but pretty soon he was mouthing the words to it. When she played Spanish music he looked at her with curiosity.

"**You're fluent in Spanish, or you just learned the songs?"**

"**All kinds of skills, remember?"** she laughed **"I'm fluent"** she said as he laughed** "I lived in California for the last 6 years, and our nanny was Mexican, we all picked it up"**

"**Maybe you can help me" **he chuckled **"I've taken Spanish for two years and haven't gotten past 'mi nombre es Jacob'; I think the teachers thinks I'm slow"**

Izzy laughed so hard her sides hurt and she was tearing up. They spent the remainder of the trip going over the little Spanish Jake knew. Well, more like laughing over it. Funny thing was his pronunciation was perfect but his phrases didn't make any sense.

Once in Port Angeles, they went directly to the AutoZone for everything Jake needed for the job. They also made what was supposed to be a quick stop at Olympic Powersports, a shop that specialized in motorcycles, including gear. They looked around at all sorta stuff to pimp out your ride and make you look the part; it was there Izzy fell in love with some black biker boots, Harley Davidson 'Hustin' waterproof boots. Only problem was they were men's boots.

The smallest size was a men's 7, Izzy was a 6 ½ but she liked them so much she could care less if they were a tad big. At half calf they were perfect for Washington's rainy weather. She tried them on and modeled them for Jake.

"**What do you think?"** she asked, stretching her leg out at him

"**Nice"** he smiled, cocking his brow a bit. _Oh lordie!_

"**They don't look too big?"** she asked to keep from staring like a dork.

"**Big?"** he laughed **"You're feet are tiny"**

"**Compared to your canoes" **she laughed** "What size are you, like a 15?"**

"**No" **he smirked **"Just a 13"**

After telling the sales clerk she would take the boots, they looked around a bit more.

"**These seem more your style"**

She pointed out a pair of black, lace-up Harley boots that somehow screamed 'Jake' to her. They seemed like something she could totally see him wearing

"**Yeah, those are sweet"** he half-smiled,

'Thirteen' Izzy mouthed to the eager sales clerk and jerked her head slightly to ring them up with her boots. Jake went off to pay for some stuff he was buying for the Rabbit he was building from scratch, while Izzy paid for both pairs of boots at the outwear section of the store. She rushed out the store and waited for him by the car. Since the retail section was a bit busier, it took him a few minutes to meet up with her.

"**I got you a little something"** she smiled holding out the bag to him.

Growing up with brothers gave Izzy the skill to read male emotions quite well. Jake spoke with his eyebrows as much if not more than with words and as he took the bag his face displayed quite a few emotions. One look at the box and his eyes went as wide as saucers.

"**You didn't?"** he asked in shock **"I can't take these"** he followed immediately, trying to hand her back the bag.

"**I'm gonna take it as an insult if you don't accept them"**

"**But…"**

"**But nada, you liked them, I could tell by the dumdum look you boys get when you wanna drool over something but wanna pretend you're too cool to do something like that"**

"**Thank you" **

He gave her one of those 'melt your heart' smiles of his and suddenly his arms were wrapped around her in a hug she never wanted to end. She wanted to melt. His arms were warm, his body was firm and muscular and he smelled woodsy, musky, kinda earthy, in other words, completely yummy. _Breath, breath, Izzy, don't pass out now_

…*****… *****… *****…

It was the first time Jake shared an embrace with a girl that wasn't a relative. Well Bella didn't really count, he knew her forever and her hugs were always short and quick. Izzy was different, she returned his hug and they held each other for a few seconds. It was a nice feeling.

Following the hug there was obvious a second where neither of them knew what to say or do, luckily Izzy's brain worked faster than his, she quickly took the bags and placed them in the back.

"**Let's eat"** she smiled while closing the trunk.

"**You're not even gonna ask if I'm hungry?"**

"**You're a teenage boy, I don't have to ask"** she laughed **"You're**_** always **_**hungry"**

Port Angeles was bigger than Forks but most of its shops and restaurants were close by which meant you could easily see your choices by driving a few blocks around. Izzy chose the steakhouse.

"**Steakhouse, ha?"** he asked while looking over the menu

"**You seem like a meat and potatoes type of guy to me"** she smiled

When the waiter took their order, she giggled as he ordered steak and mashed potatoes, then gave him an 'I knew it' little smile. He couldn't help but laugh. While they ate they talked about the types of things kids in town did for fun, the differences between LaPush and Forks and he teased her about the attention she would be getting at school with her being new and all. She laughed and said she'll call him to kick some butt for her if they got too pushy and or annoying.

Jake didn't get out to Port Angeles very often and he really wanted to take advantage of the trip and check out some junk yards for parts for his Rabbit. Problem was he wasn't quite sure how to ask her. Even as much as she claimed she had no problem getting dirty with the boys, he couldn't see her doing it, she was much too pretty to be elbow deep in grease and knee deep in mud. Besides, she was not dressed to for it. _Maybe she can wait for me in the car_?

"**Do you mind doing me a favor?" **he asked as they got back on the car

"**Of course not, what's up?"**

"**Do you think we can stop by some junk yards? I wanna see if I can find some parts and stuff for my car"**

"**No prob"** she smiled **"Just tell me which way to go"**

Hanging out with her and talking to her was so easy. She was always smiling and her attitude and behavior was like hanging around with one of your buddies, a really pretty, sweet smelling, buddy.

She parked the car outside the gates. She began to get off the car when he stopped her.

"**You can wait for me here; I promise I won't take long"**

"**You don't want me to go with you?" **

"**It's not that"** he answered automatically. She stared at him, waiting for a valid reason **"You're gonna get all dirty"** she cocked her brow in a silent 'seriously?' He smiled** "You're not exactly dressed to be splashing around in knee deep mud"**

"**Hold up" **she smiled popping the trunk. He watched her as she ran back, quickly threw her sweater in, pulled her hair in a messy bun and changed into her new boots. **"Now I'm ready" **she smiled **"Bring on the mud"**

Within a few minutes they were both beyond muddy. She splashed around in puddles as he jumped over cars and squeezed under a few to get parts. In a few cases she did it for him when the space was too small for him to fit. She seemed to be having a blast and he enjoyed having her around. By the time the sun began to set, they had found quite a bit of parts and as had plenty of mud as a bonus. She changed back into her sneakers but her clothes, as his were still covered in it. Luckily the worker at the yard gave them a couple of trash bags to cover her mom's car seats.

The trip home was just as entertaining as before. She loved to sing along with the music, quite loudly, no matter how off-key she was and danced along to the music in a way that should be considered illegal while driving. She also drove pretty fast for a girl but even though the combination of all those thing should've had him praying for his life, he felt completely at as ease and totally comfortable with her. It seemed like she enjoyed being with him too. _Don't read too much into it, Jake, maybe she's that way with everybody_

It was completely dark by the time she pulled up to his house. The light inside indicated his dad was home and as much as he wanted to invite her in, he didn't wanna hear the teasing from his dad. As it was he was sure to say something anyways. Good thing the old man valued his life enough to not go outside; he spied from the window instead. Jake ignored him and got the bags out of the trunk. Despite the assurance that it wasn't necessary, Izzy insisted on helping.

The garage was pitch black but his hands were full and couldn't work the switch, he would've told Izzy but quite honestly he was afraid she might bump into something and hurt herself. Funny thing was she got as far as the hood of the Rabbit then got stuck on something. He knew that garage inside and out, even blind, so he had her wait while he took all the bags in the back. On the way back he took her hand and tried to help her out but she kept bumping into tools and boxes. He finally gave up and carried her.

Jake wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. She was startled at first but then wrapped her arm around his shoulders for a better hold. It wasn't until he reached the trees outside the garage that he realized her face was inches from his. She was looking at him and all he could think of was how beautiful she looked with the moonlight bouncing off those jade eyes of hers. Before he knew it he had brought his face to hers. The tip of his nose touched the tip of hers and her pouty lips were brushed his, their breaths becoming one. As close as he was holding her he could feel her heart was beating as fast as his. _Kiss her, you dumbass! _It was the moment of truth, time to stop thinking and act.

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **PHOTOBUCKET **and search **DESTINYSTORY** under **PEOPLE**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYSTYLE . BLOGSPOT . COM**


	4. Chapter 4

Izzy was stumbling around in complete darkness, bumping into boxes and whatnots that didn't allow her to move freely. After taking the bags from her and dropping them in the back, Jake took her hand and tried to guide her out of the garage, unfortunately she still couldn't take a step without hitting something which he found hilarious. She couldn't help but wonder why he didn't just go turn on the lights but then again boys' minds didn't always make sense and she didn't wanna rub it in. Evidently his male brain figured the only way to solve the problem was to carry her out. She was not expecting that move and had to hold in a squeal when in a quick swoop her feet were off the ground and her body was pressed against Jake's. _Thank god for boys' minds not making sense_! With all those yummy muscles of his, Izzy was certain Jake was pretty strong, she was sure he would never drop her but she couldn't miss an opportunity to get even closer so she wrapped her right arm around his shoulders, move that brought their faces mere inches from one another. While he focused in getting them outside, she took the moment to admire the way the moonlight emphasized the features of his beautiful face. She was so far gone she didn't notice at what point she went from admiring his dreamy black eyes to staring into them. Suddenly, as if she willed it, their noses were tip to tip, his luscious lips so close she could feel them brush up against hers like soft fluttering of butterfly wings. By that time her heart was beating so fast she was waiting for it to burst through the chest at any given second. _Kiss me already!_

They didn't move for a few seconds and the anticipation was killing her. A million things were going through her head. He wasn't moving away which probably meant he was pondering the idea of kissing her, but then again he wasn't kissing her so maybe there was something stopping him. Maybe he was just as nervous as she was, maybe she should just make the first move.

"**Whoa!"** said a pair of voices Izzy had gotten to know.

They had been so caught up in the moment they didn't notice or hear Quil and Embry walking towards them until it was too late. Jake and Izzy snapped their heads in their direction.

"**I wanted to see if I left my keys here"** Embry blurted out quickly as if he needed to explain why he was there **"We were hanging here earlier and I think I dropped them"**

"**So sorry to interrupt"** Quil smirked with a big cheesy grin

"**We weren't…."** Jake began

"**Whatever, bro"** Quil laughed **"You **_**might've**_** been able to say that, **_**if you weren't still holding her**_**"**

_Oh god!_ Quil was right, they were still standing there, her arm around him, his around her, her body suspended in the air and pressed against his. Jake instantly put her down and they both took a small step away from each other. He and Izzy looked at each other for a split second and knew no matter how much they tried to explain things it would come out like a complete lie.

"**You know what, Imma go"** Izzy said to make a quick getaway.

"**No!"** Embry quickly answered **"We'll leave"**

"**It's getting late; if I don't get home soon Ma will gather up a search party"**

"**You'll be back tomorrow, right?" **Jake asked

"**What kind of assistant would I be if I didn't"** she smiled

Quil was staring attentively with a devious smile on his face as Jake walked up to her. Embry smacked his arm and pulled him a few step away, doing his best to give her and Jake some privacy by distracting the nosy Quil.

"**I had fun today**" Jake smiled as he stood toe to toe with her **"It was nice"**

"**It was" **she answered, unable to stop smiling **"We'll definitely be doing that again"** _Hopefully very soon and often_.

"**But next time it'll be on me**" he said placing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"**Deal"** she nodded, still smiling.

"**Drive carefully"** he smiled before giving her a hug she quickly returned.

"**Thanks for everything"** she smiled. _Just do it!_ She tiptoed and kissed his cheek, too scared to do what she really wanted to do **"See you tomorrow"**

As soon as she began to walk to Ma's car, she heard Quil's teasing and Jake's death threats in return. They were followed by some thuds and slaps and Quil's grunts and moans.

"**Hey, Izzy?"** she heard as she was getting into the car **"Mind giving me a ride home?"**

Embry's house was no more than a couple of blocks away so it didn't take a genius to figure out it was an excuse to talk to her. _Wonder what he has to say?_

"**No prob, hop on"** Boys were so easy to read. Embry sat quietly, looking out the window through their 2 ½ block ride. By the way he fidgeted with hem of his t-shirt he was dying to say something but obviously couldn't figure out how to. She stopped in front of his house and chuckled. "**Embry, are you gonna tell whatever it is you feel the need to tell me or should I go up and down the road a few times?"**

"**That's obvious, ha?"** he laughed

"**Yeah"** she nodded

He took a deep breath and turned to face her. **"I've known Jake all my life. He's not only my best friend; he's like a brother to me"**

"**Ok?" **

"**He likes you"** he blurted out **"Quil and I weren't sure, but now I know he totally likes you. Which I gotta be honest, really surprises me"**

"**Gee, thanks" **

"**No, no, no"** he waved his hands** "That's not what I meant. See, the thing is, no matter how hard Quil and I have tried to push him, Jake hasn't paid the slightest attention to any girl since Bella moved back to Forks a few months ago. But he's noticed you"**

"**Bella?"**

"**Bella Swan. She's Charlie's daughter, Charlie's the chief of police and Billy's bestfriend"**

"**So Bella's the ex he still can't get over"**

"**Ex?"** he laughed **"He wishes. No, she's a childhood friend he always had a crush on. For years she spent the summers here and now she's back for good. Jake's convinced himself he's in love but I think it's his competiveness that has him believing that" **the look on his face said there was a lot more he wasn't telling her **"But anyways, what I wanted to say is that if you're interested, please be patient. Girls are new to us as it is and with the whole Bella thing on top of that, he might take things a lot slower than he should"**

"**I'll be sure to do that"** she smiled. Embry exhaled sharply and ran his fingers though his hair, obviously relieved the conversation was over. He thanked her for the ride and began to get off **"You're a good friend, Embry"** she smiled causing him to blush as he ran in his house.

Izzy drove home as fast as she could. She was beyond thankful everyone was in their rooms cause she wasn't in the mood to chit chat with Ma and Mark, she was however in desperate need of talking to Andy. He was the brother she would go to when she needed 411. Being quiet meant he got to hear a lot more than most and unlike Ma, Daniel or Ma, Andy never asked why she wanted to know something.

Andy was quick to answer his door; she was too dirty to plop on his bed like she usually did so she sat legs crossed on his floor.

"**What's up?"** he smiled

"**I need you to tell me everything you know about Bella Swan"**

…*****… *****… *****…

Someone would think that staring at a ceiling for hours would eventually bore them into unconsciousness. Not even close, the sun came up and Jake was still staring at the ceiling without an ounce of sleep. His mind was too overloaded to rest. As if he wasn't pumped up enough, chasing Quil around and beating the crap outta him got him wired. To top that off, his dad teased him about Izzy nonstop, insisting that with Jake's skin tone and her eyes he was sure to have beautiful grandkids.

Jake couldn't stop thinking about Izzy. The moment they shared replayed in his head over and over again. It felt right to hold her the way he did. There was no awkwardness or tension like when he was close to Bella. Every ounce in his body wanted to kiss her and that fact threw his mind for a spin. He had never felt something like that for a girl that wasn't Bella yet he wouldn't have known the girl's name the moment he was with Izzy. He couldn't help but wonder, and let's face it, fantasize, about what would've happened if his dumbass friends hadn't arrived when they did.

Jake had never been so conflicted before. He liked Izzy, a lot more than he ever expected to, but he also had feelings for Bella. He couldn't deny that he turned into a love-sick puppy everytime he set eyes on his friend, who happened to have a boyfriend she proclaimed to be irrevocably in love with, friend who had stated in different occasion seeing Jake as a younger brother.

_Why is love so damn complicated and confusing?_ For months the only thing he looked forward to was the few times he went to Charlie's house with Billy, while they watched whatever game was on, he hung around with Bella, but they didn't do that too often and recently she was hardly ever there, too busy with the over gelled fool she had for a boyfriend. Even though he knew he didn't have a chance, he hadn't seen another girl since setting eyes on Bella's milky skin, chocolate curls and matching eyes. Then when he least expects it, Izzy shows up and with her smiles, carefree, playful attitude, sunkissed skin, chestnut locks, jade eyes and the uncanny ability to make him forget Bella while he's with her, his mind felt like it was overheating.

Jake couldn't stand another minute in bed and figured a good workout would help him take the edge off. He ran a couple of miles, did a few reps with the weights and took a shower. He was stacking pancakes by the time his dad wheeled into the kitchen. Jake handed his dad a plate and sat across from with him with his own.

"**Did the run help?"** his dad smirked

Jake snapped his head up. **"How did you…..?"** he said in confusion **"Oh, never mind"**

"**Girls can do that to you" **his dad laughed** "Winter I met your mother, I chopped down enough firewood for all of LaPush"**

"**Did it work?"**

"**Nope" **he laughed **"But I did get some nice guns"** he said flexing **"She liked that"** Jake couldn't help but laugh. Billy laughed along with him for a second then got that 'fatherly advice' look on his face **"Son, there are times when life goes out of its way to let you know something is just not meant to be, problem is we are so stubborn and hardheaded, we chose to see only what we wanna see, many times that means overlooking what's right in front of you"**

"**Ok?" **_What is all that about?_

"**Just remember that when you set your mind in the impossible all you'll end up with is heartache and disappointment"** he said while grabbing the pot of coffee **"Now, you think you can make a couple more pancakes?" **Jake looked at their still full plates and frowned in confusion. His dad laughed and pointed at the window with his head **"We have a visitor"** Izzy was running up to the house, hair in a ponytail, wearing a white sports tank top, black yoga pants and white Nikes. Her sweater wrapped around her waist. She got up to the stairs and sat down to catch her breath. Jake didn't realize he was smiling until his dad laughed **"You just sit there smiling, I'll go let her in"**

By the look on her face it was easy to tell she was not expecting anyone to be up yet. She got nervous and blushed a little but it only made her look completely adorable. It took a little convincing from his dad to get her to have breakfast with them but at the end she followed him in. Jake set a plate of hotcakes for her.

"**Coffee or milk?"** he smiled at her

"**Milk"** she chuckled nervously

Jake gave her his chair and pulled up another one for himself. She was her usual smiley self but there was a hint of shyness that crossed her face whenever their eyes met.

"**Did you run all the way over here?"** Jake asked

"**I couldn't sleep and a run seemed like a good idea"** _Seems to be a lot of that going around_

"**You shouldn't be running around the woods by yourself, honey"** his dad advised **"It's not safe"**

"**I figured that about halfway here" **she laughed **"Mind plays tricks on you; I swear I felt someone was watching me. I mean I know it's just animals but still creepy. Probably why I got here so fast"**

Jake noticed his dad got far too serious for the conversation they were having. There was nothing out in those woods but wild animals. Then again there'd been quite a bit of animal attacks in the recent months, from what Charlie had said, there'd been a few fatalities lately, maybe that was the reason for his concern.

"**No more runs, ok?"**

"**No more"** she shook her head **"I honestly wasn't planning on running this far but next thing I know I was halfway here, and then I heard some rustling and saw some big black whatever that was and ran like a bat outta hell over here. Definitely not doing that again"**

After finishing breakfast, Izzy volunteered to wash the dishes, Jake and Billy wouldn't allow it but like she did with the boots, she played the offense card and got her way. As they cleaned up, his dad claimed he had things to do and took off as he usually did. Jake and Izzy were walking out the front door, on their way to the garage when Quil and Embry showed up.

"**Hey, guys"** Embry smiled

"**Hey"** Jake and Izzy chorused

"**Well look who's here, **_**again**_**"** Quil laughed, his devious eyes on Izzy.

"**He's not gonna let this go, is he?"** Izzy leaned in to whisper

"**Nope"** Jake growled with a death glare to the soon to be late Ateara.

"**Hmm**" she breathed before attaining a smile that matched Quil's **"What are you talking about**?" she laughed loudly **"I've**_** been**_** here. I spent the night"**

His face, priceless **"Na ah"** he said eyeing Jake for a second **"I saw you leave with Embry"**

"**I came back"**

It was obvious Quil was seriously thinking about it. Jake and Embry were having a hard time keeping straight faces.

"**You **_**did not**_** sleep over"**

"**Ok, ok, you're right, I didn't"** she stated **"We didn't sleep"** she smiled **"Jake's bed is too small for that, but found other things to do throughout the night and it worked out **_**real good**_**"**

With a playful wink she walked past the guys and headed to the garage. Quil stood there watching her with wide eyes and blank expression. Jake and Embry couldn't stop laughing. You had to love anyone who could mess with Quil like that. **"Come on!"** she yelled back **"My bike aint gonna fix itself"**

"**She's awesome" **Embry laughed

"**Yeah, she is"** Jake smiled as they followed her, dragging Quil with them.

Izzy's bike was an artwork, the kind the guys had, and probably would only see in magazines and tv shows. It went beyond saying they dragged out the work as much as possible but sadly they we're done within a couple of hours. Embry and Jake moved on to working on the Rabbit and Izzy decided to stay and continue assisting. As usual Quil sat back and watched, only difference this time were his vain efforts to get Izzy to admit she hadn't sleep over, she was too good for him and got nowhere.

Izzy laughed and joked around with the guys and seemed to enjoy getting elbow deep in grease with them. Around noon she sent Quil to pick up a few pizzas, which they devoured in record time. She also sent him to the store a few times for snacks and drinks, each time Quil following instruction without the slightest objection, something Jake had never seen him do.

They were talking about cliff diving and how much she wanted to try it when Black Eyes Peas' 'My Humps' played lowly. She laughed as the guys looked around in confusion and told them it was her cell phone.

"**Can you get it out of my pocket?"** she asked Quil, who was the only one with clean hands. She stretched her side and held out her hip a little. Quil was a bit too eager to help and that somehow made Jake a little angry. She looked at the caller id as he held it out to her and smiled **"Put it on speaker, please?" **with but push of a button a guys voice came through.

"**Hey, baby, how you been?"** _What the fuck?_

"**Missing you like crazy"** she laughed.

Jake felt a heat wash over him and couldn't understand why. He had no right to feel jealous.

"**Well you won't be missing me long, kitty. Imma be there Friday"**

"**Lie!"**

"**No, serio"** he laughed **"Just talked to Mary and Mark's gonna pick me up from Seattle"**

"**On my god! We're gonna burn the town down" **she laughed

"**For sure"** he laughed **"We'll gotta go now but I'll see you Friday. Love you"**

"**Can't wait. Love you too"**

She nudged Quil to end the call, all smiles and happy as can be. Jake hadn't noticed he had crushed the soda can in his hand until Embry brought it to his attention. Quil and Embry looked at her with obvious curiosity but what she noticed was Jake's expression and evident change in mood.

"**You ok?"** she asked

"**Yeah"** he answered flatly **"I'm just fine"**

_It's nothing but a sudden urge to kill the guy you were talking to. Couldn't be better!_ He was dying to know who was on the phone and what he was to her but he knew he had no right to so he just looked at her as she smiled away, way too happy about the news of that guy's arrival. _You are in so much trouble, Jacob Black_

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **PHOTOBUCKET **and search **DESTINYSTORY** under **PEOPLE**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYSTYLE . BLOGSPOT . COM**


	5. Chapter 5

Summers in LaPush were pretty mellow, a few bonfires at the beach, cliff diving with friends and some surfing. Unlike big cities, kids there didn't have much to do, probably why the town made sure to celebrate as many festive days as possible. Normally Jake wasn't one to attend the 'End of Summer' carnival but this time he was looking forward to it. It didn't have anything to do with Izzy being there with her 'visitor'. That was his story and he was sticking to it. Even though Izzy had been over at his house to help with the Rabbit on a daily basis, he never brought up the conversation she had with Mr. Mystery. He made sure no one else did either.

Embry was able to borrow his mom's car and was the one to drive Jake, Quil, Seth and Leah to the carnival. Instantly upon their arrival they saw Bella's truck in the parking lot. Of course next to it were the silver Volvo, red BMW convertible and black Mercedes that like their owners stuck out like soar thumbs and didn't fit in.

They were getting out of the car when they heard the roar of Izzy's bike. She wasn't alone, Andy was with her. He had a helmet on but due to his size and clothes there was no mistaking him. They pulled up next to them. Andy was wearing his usual baggy shorts, t-shirt and vans and Izzy was wearing a tank top that matched her jade green eyes, black hip hugging jeans and the Harley boots she bought in Port Angeles. She noticed Jake was wearing the boots she bought him and smiled.

Embry took her helmets and tossed them in the backseat of the car as she hugged the boys 'hello'. Andy stood next to Seth who like always was cheery and happy.

"**Izzy, this is my sister Leah**" the kid introduced **"Lee this is Izzy, Mark and Andy's sister"**

"**Hey there" **Leah nodded **"And don't call me that, Seth"**

They walked as Leah and Seth argued over the use of her old nickname, one given to her by her ex Sam, who was now with her cousin Emily. Jake could totally understand why she despised that name.

"**It's just you two?"** Embry asked for Jake as the group reached the entrance.

"**Ma's in Seattle with Mark"** Andy answered **"They'll be here later"**

Every kid in town was at that carnival and almost all of them turned to look at them. It was impossible not to call attention, a couple of Indian kids well over 6 feet tall alone would do it, add that they were walking in with the new kids in town, heads turned everywhere. To be honest their group didn't fit in with the cookie cut teens surrounding them, but there was one group that stood out more, the same group that made his blood boil and his stomach turn. By the look on Embry, Quil and Leah's faces, his feelings were shared. Izzy noticed their reaction and looked at Andy and Seth for an answer.

"**The Cullens"** Andy answered **"Edward, Alice and Jasper"**

The big one and the blonde one weren't with them but they were probably around.

"**Freaky eyes" **

"**Wish that was the only thing freaky about them"** Quil mumbled

"**What do you mean?"** Izzy asked

"**Nothing"** Jake answered, giving him the 'shut up, idiot' look.

"**Tribal superstitions**" Leah added **"Top secret"**

Izzy laughed and slowly made her way to Leah, making sure not to make it obvious though Jake noticed it.

"**I take it that's Bella Swan?"** she asked Leah in a whisper.

"**Mmm hmm"** Leah rolled her eyes.

Izzy took a good look at Bella, cocked up her eye for a sec and humphed

"**Don't see what the big deal is"**

Jake involuntarily snapped his head in her direction. It was obvious she had gotten the lowdown from one if not all of the guys, but… _Is she jealous?_

"**I like you"** Leah smiled, not something she did often, of either, liking someone or smiling.

Of course Izzy and Leah wanted to go in the opposite direction the Cullens were in. Bella caught his eyes for a second and smiled. Jake returned the smile and followed the girls.

The played a few games and we're waiting in line for the Ferris wheel when a group of girls around 13 or 14, passed by them, giggling and looking at Andy and Seth, both kids just stood there staring. Leah and Izzy laughed. Izzy squeezed between them and placed and arm over each kid.

"**FYI, **_**that **_**was flirting. And they were doing it with **_**you**_**"** she smiled. Andy and Seth looked at her like she'd just informed them they won the lottery **"Go!" **she laughed pushing them off.

They didn't have to be told twice, kids ran off like their lives depended on it. It didn't take Quil and Embry long to learn the Ferris wheel was the place to be paired up with single girls, obviously they glued themselves to it. Jake stayed with Izzy and Leah. They got on rides, played games and ate just about every junk food imaginable. It was so weird to see Leah getting along with someone and actually having a good time. A guy asked Leah to ride the Ferris wheel with him, and after some convincing and shoving from Izzy, she agreed. That left Jake alone with Izzy. _No complains here._

They were leaving a game stand when Izzy turned too quickly and ran into the boulder that was Emmett Cullen. _That's weird._ Jake remember him as the big Cullen, but standing toe to toe with him he was surprised he no longer had to look up, as a matter of fact, Emmett was looking up at him. From the look on his pale face, he was just as uncomfortable around him as Jake was around him, so much so that he didn't even notice Izzy slamming into him, as if he didn't feel it.

"**Whoa!"** Izzy exclaimed, causing Emmett to look down at her. Jake would've sworn it was impossible for them to get paler but he was wrong. He stared at Izzy with wide eyes that Jake could've sworn were filled with shock and astonishment.** "I'm so sorry" **she smiled apologetically, the pale giant stumbled back and landed on his ass with an extremely loud thump that shook the ground **"Oh my god! Are you ok?"**

Almost instantly the rest of the Cullens were at their 'brother's side. The blonde one kneeled at his side, trying to help him but all he did was stare at Izzy. The other pale faces looked at Jake and Izzy like they'd done something. On impulse he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her a step back. Edward looked down at Emmett attentively; suddenly he snapped his head up to look at Izzy and shock washed over his face for a split second before he masked his emotions.

"**He ok, just a little lightheaded"** Edward smiled at Izzy, putting on his 'charming and suave' act **"Too many rides I'm afraid"**

"**Too many rides, ha?"** the blonde one, Rosalie, asked in disbelief.

"**Yes"** he answered in a tone that obviously meant something **"It also didn't help that …"**

"**Izzy"**

"**That Izzy has an uncanny resemblance to someone he knew in Tennessee"**

"**Tennessee?"** Izzy asked **"Talk about crazy, I'm from Tennessee"**

"**Can I ask your full name?" **Emmett asked in a shaky voice

"**Isabella Luna McCarty"** Big guy nearly keeled over, probably would've if he wasn't already on the floor.

The awkward moment was interrupted when one of the girls that had been flirting with Seth and Andy ran up.

"**You're Andy's sister, right?"** the girl nearly squeaked, not really waiting for Izzy to nod before she continued **"You need to come quick, he's having some kind of panic attack"**

"**What happened?"** Izzy asked as she ran faster than Jake had ever seen anyone run before.

"**Some guy was trying to pick a fight with them"** the girl puffed, several feet behind **"We tried to avoid him but he wouldn't ease up and when he got physical Andy started hyperventilating"**

When they reached the kids, Andy was keeled over, hand on his knees as he did his best not to pass out. Seth was a few steps away, trying to run away from the asshole that was shoving him around. Izzy ran directly to Seth and when the bully saw her, he laughed.

"**Just like little pussies. Need a girl to rescue them"**

"**Go help Andy"** she said, pushing Seth in her brother's direction **"You're looking for a fight, asshole? We'll I'm right here" she** said slamming at full speed and with full force into the punk, pushing the guy back a few steps.

"**Tough chick, ha?"** the asshole laughed

Jake grabbed a hold of her arm and had every intention of pulling her aside and kicking the fucker's ass but she tossed Jake aside like a rag doll, leaving him quite surprised. She must've been pretty strong to begin with and with the adrenaline rush she man-handled him with ease. He was so overwhelmed he hadn't even noticed the Cullens had followed them until Bella touched his arm. What happened next was so fast, if he had blinked, he would've missed it.

"**How does it feel to get knocked out by a girl, for bullying kids**?" Izzy asked as she walked up to the jerk tauntingly.

"**Wha…"** he managed to get out before her fist made contact. And just like that, he was on the floor, out cold.

"**I **_**really**_** like this girl"** Leah exclaimed from somewhere.

... ***** ... ***** ... ***** ...

Izzy never considered herself an aggressive person. Except when someone messed with her family. It wasn't something she would ever say out loud but there was no doubt in her mind that she would kill if anyone intentionally hurt one of her loved ones. She loved Ma, D and Mark equally but Andy had a special spot in her heart. It might've been because he was her little brother, or because she knew about the teasing and bullying he endured at the children's home and the traumas it caused him, or because he was so sensitive, it was probably a mixture of it all but Izzy made sure no one ever messed with him again and got away with it.

Ever since they were little kids, Andy got nervous whenever a situation got beyond an argument. If he were ever close to enough to witness violence, his reaction would gradually escalade from nerves to an all out panic attack. When the girl mentioned his state, Izzy knew the situation was not good and she was gonna do something about it.

With the bullying asshole out of the equation, Izzy ran to her little brother, who still couldn't regulate his breathing. She squatted and cupped his face, tilting it up so he could see she was there with him.

"**I'm right here. I'm with you. No more fight. He's gone"** her words seemed to calm him a little but when he realized there was a small group witnessing his breakdown he began to hyperventilate again. **"Hey!"** she said turning his head back to her **"It's just you and me here, ok? No one else, just you and me"** she repeated** "You and me" **over and over until he was back to his old self.

"**Thanks"** he hugged her, back to his smiley self

"**I got you, always, you know that"**

"**I'm good, for reals"** he assured her when he noticed the worry in her eyes.

"**You wanna go?"**

"**No"** he shook his head **"Seth and I still have stuff we wanna do"**

She smiled. Just like Andy, one minute he was going crazy and the next, it's done, never happened, life goes on. She didn't know how long it took for the episode to pass but when she focused on their surroundings, she realized Seth was on one side of her and Jake on the other.

"**I'm so sorry for pushing you, Seth"**

"**Psh!"** he exclaimed** "When it comes to pushing me outta of a fist's way, you can me push me anytime"**

"**Can we go mess around again?" **Andy interrupted

"**Yeah, go" **she smiled

She looked around, the Cullens were long gone, Quil, Embry and Leah were helping a police officer scatter the nosy onlookers and another cop took statements from a few kids that must've witnessed the whole thing. She looked at the floor and grabbed her head in frustration when she saw the bloody bully out cold on the floor.

"**Broken nose for sure"** Jake chuckled from behind her. She turned to look at him and suddenly felt the uncontrollable urge to cry. She tried to blink the tears away but wasn't too successful, he pulled her into a hug and held her **"It's ok, let it out" **he said stroking her hair as she sobbed into his chest.

"**Great first impression"** she cried **"I didn't wanna be this girl anymore"**

"**One that kicks ass if they mess with her little brother? That's a freaking awesome girl to be"**

"**One that doesn't have real friends" **she cried harder **"The one girls either stay away from or talk to only because they're scared of"**

"**Hey!" **he said mildly offended **"Embry? Quil? Seth? Me? Real friends"**

"**But you're all boys" **she complained. Jake took a step back and looked down at her with a cocked brow **"I love hanging with you guys, but I can't have girl talk with guys"**

"**True" **he smiled before going back to holding her **"But after what you just did, I'm pretty sure Leah just became you're new best friend"**

She smiled for a sec then began to cry again **"I'm sorry I tossed you aside"**

He step back and chuckled while cleaning her tears **"Don't mention to anyone how you man-handled me, and you're forgiven" **She couldn't help but laugh **"Much better"** he smiled **"Now tell me, where did you learn to knock a dude out like that?"**

"**Boxing with my brothers" **she sniffled, he laughed.

Sometime during Andy's episode, Jake had talked to the police and told them what happened. They were considering it self defense. Always helps to be buddy-buddy with the chief of police. It was defense, but not for herself but the chief was certain the bully wasn't gonna press charges cause he'd be too embarrassed to admit he was clocked by a girl for bullying a couple of kids.

Within a few minutes the whole incident was behind them and everyone went back to doing whatever it was they were doing. Knowing how much it affected her, Jake was sweet enough to make it his mission to make her forget about it, and you know what, he achieved it. Between rides, games and junk food, Izzy completely forgot about the jerk she decked. If it wasn't for the tenderness in her hand, it would've been like it never happened.

About an hour later when the sun began to set, the music began to play and the dance began. The group reunited at the big tent. The Cullens, Bella included, showed up a second later, sitting at the benches across the dance floor section from them but Izzy made sure they didn't pay them attention. Jake, Embry, Quil, Seth, Andy, Leah and Izzy hung out listening to music, dancing a song or two here and there.

"**I love this song!"** Seth exclaimed as Smash Mouth's 'I'm A Believer' began to play.

"**That's only cause of Shrek"** Leah laughed

"**Well I love it too"** Izzy smiled **"So come on"** she said pulling him to dance.

Seth was a much better dancer than Embry, mostly cause the kid was a lot more at ease and could care less what he looked like. He and Izzy bounced around and were having a blast regardless of all the eyes set on them. After a few songs, Usher's 'Yeah' began to play and Andy danced his way over to cut in.

Dancing with Andy was much different, they've had years of practice dancing together and like Izzy, Andy had moves. If there weren't any eyes on her yet, there were now. She danced a few songs with her brother, a few more with Seth and even danced with Quil and Embry but Jake kept getting up to go somewhere everytime she got near them. Bad timing on his part, the dummy came up just a song finished and Izzy took the opportunity to pull him to the dancefloor.

"**I'll end up hurting you"** he argued while being dragged

"**I've danced with Embry**" she laughed **"I've gotten good at avoiding injury"**

Embry was stiff but Jake took the cake, what he did was not dancing, it was swaying from side to side, too worried about stepping on her to enjoy the moment. He reminded her of a newborn pony, blessed with a strong body but with no idea how to use it yet.

From the corner of her eye, Izzy saw Quil run to the dj booth and knew exactly what was gonna happen next. It was quite funny to see the horror that crossed Jake's eyes when Aerosmith's 'I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing' began to play. As much as she wanted to slow dance with Jake, she was gonna give him the option. She didn't verbally ask him but the look she gave him was enough. What she got in return was an emotional punch in the stomach when instead of answering her; he looked over her, at Bella.

Izzy didn't say anything, afraid her voice would betray her and show the pain she felt, she turned away from him and began to walk away. Embry caught her eyes and she could tell exactly what he was thinking 'be patient', she wondered if he knew how much it hurt to be patient. Izzy took two steps before Jake caught her left arm. In a quick swoop, he turned her around, took her right hand in his left, and placed his right arm around her waist, pressing her body against his.

"**Um?"** she smiled as she looked down and noticed her feet were off the floor why he swayed her from side to side.

"**It's the only way I can be sure I won't step on you"** he half- smiled in the sexiest way. _Oh lordie!_

"**Carry away then"** she smiled, placing her left arm over his neck.

There was no way to fully explain the way Izzy felt in Jake's arms. His firm muscles holding her up, his broad chest directly against hers and his hand so strong yet so soft… _Breath, Izzy!_ The combination of his awesome scent swirling all over her and his dreamy eyes looking deep into hers had her in the verge of faint. About halfway through the song, the world around them disappeared, to Izzy it was just the two of them there. She felt as if she was in a dream when his face slowly inched towards hers, he paused for a second, their lips gently brushing, then her heart stopped as she felt the pressure of the soft warmth of his luscious lips.

He guided her arm around his neck and left it there bringing his hand to gently hold the nape of her neck. All she could smell was Jake, all she could feel was Jake, his kiss so warm and gentle, every cell in her body was screaming _Yes, yes, yes!_ She never wanted the moment to end, she couldn't get enough of him, yet sadly the song did end and with that brought their moment to an end as well.

She hadn't even noticed she was holding her breath or that she needed air until the kiss ended as she involuntarily breathed deeply. Jake gave her one of his 'melt-you-heart' smiles as he placed her down, for a second all he saw was her but that changed in an instant, just as he had before, he looked right over her, at Bella, who was walking away with her boyfriend and the rest of the Cullens. A million emotions rushed through Izzy, disappointment, hurt, but above all, rage. _It was all a show for her_

"**You know what, Jacob"** she said with too much anger to keep calm **"Next time you kiss a girl, do it cause you want to, not to give someone else a show"**

She turned away from him and walked away as fast as she could without running, using every bit of her energy to hold back the tears as a huge knot burned in her throat.

"**Izzy, wait!"** he called after her. She waved her hand in dismissal.

She was reaching the benches were everyone else was watching with mouths wide open, all in shock, each for a different reason, when in ran Manny with Mark in tow. Manny immediately wrapped his arms around her. He instantly knew something was wrong when he didn't get the response he usually got, the one he was expecting, and took a step back to look at her.

"**What is it?"**

"**Nothing"** she lied with the best smile she could force. That response was good enough for him and he threw her over his shoulder as he did when she was little **"It was nothing" **she said looking directly into Jake's eyes as Manny playfully ran off with her.

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **PHOTOBUCKET **and search **DESTINYSTORY** under **PEOPLE**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYSTYLE . BLOGSPOT . COM**


	6. Chapter 6

Funny how you imagine the hundreds of ways you're first kiss could happen, but you never think of the ways it could go wrong. Never in a million years did Jake even consider he could mess up things so bad. What's even funnier, you do consider the many ways a slow dance could go backfire, reason why even though all boys love the way it gives you the opportunity to be up close and personal to the girl you like, you dread it because you don't wanna ruin all your chances by stomping all over her. Jake had only slowed danced once, if awkwardly swaying from side to side with Bella at her homecoming could be considered dancing. When the moment of doing it with Izzy came up, he couldn't help but remember his first time and his eyes automatically went to the girl he'd done it with. Seeing Bella practically velcroed to the poster boy for hair gel, Jake realized he needed to focus on the awesome girl in front of him. Izzy was many things, and up on the top of the list was observant. She noticed instantly his mind had gone elsewhere and began to walk away.

Jake couldn't let that happen, he did what he wanted to do, what he'd been dying to do since the night at his garage, take her in his arms, and the slow dance was the perfect excuse. Izzy had the ability to make the world disappear when he was with her; whenever they hung out together it was as if only they existed. Jake didn't notice her was getting closer and closer until their lips touched.

The kiss with Izzy was perfect. It was sweet, it was soft, it was way better than he ever expected it could ever be. He could've kissed her all night and that realization made him aware his heart no longer belonged to one girl, it belonged to two. His heart had been all Izzy's during their kiss but the moment her feet touched the ground, his eyes went to his other love, whose presence he had completely forgotten about. Bella had witnessed everything and Jake couldn't help wonder what she was thinking, if she had cared, if she had felt anything at all. _Probably not_

Of course Izzy noticed, everyone noticed. The look that crossed her lovely face hurt him more and hit him harder than any punch she could've given him. Her words stung like a fiery knife in his gut.

"**You know what, Jacob"** she spat **"Next time you kiss a girl, do it cause you want to, not to give someone else a show"**

She stormed away as if she couldn't get away fast enough, ok there was no 'as if', she couldn't get away from him fast enough. Jake went after her, calling her name several times but she dismissed him and kept on walking. From the corner of his eye, Jake saw Andy, Seth and Quil with the same wide eyed, mouth open shocked expression while Embry and Leah were shaking their heads, Embry is disappointment and Leah in anger. Jake was about to grab her arm when a big guy ran in directly up to Izzy, wrapping his arms around her. Mark laughed as he walked in a few seconds later and sat with their group.

The guy was in his early 20's, about 6'2, short curly black hair, grey eyes, face and body of a Calvin Klein model and smile worthy of a toothpaste commercial. Their greetings were evidently pretty affectionate because when he didn't get the embrace he obviously expected, he instantly complained about her standoffish behavior. Izzy forced a smiled and assured nothing was wrong, the guy somehow believed it, or pretended to, throwing her over his shoulder, allowing Jake to be face to face with her.

"**It was nothing"** she said, her eyes locked with Jake's.

The statement had a double meaning, she was telling that guy nothing was wrong but also telling Jake their kiss was nothing. She was lying. That kiss had been a lot more than something; he knew that, he felt that. But if she felt half of what he was feeling seeing her in that guy's arms, she had every right to be angry. How could he have been such an idiot? How could he disrespect her by looking at another girl after their kiss? How could he have ruined such a perfect moment? If he could've kicked his own ass he would've.

"**I'll give you a ride home"** Mark was saying to Andy when Jake walked up to the benches **"Cause you know he's riding with Izz" **

"**Who is that?"** Jake asked, getting several 'Are you serious?' scuffs and looks.

"**That's Manny**" Andy answered** "Danny's bestfriend"**

"**And Danny is?"**Leah asked

"**Our older brother, he's in the Marines"** Mark answered **"Manny's been his bestfriend since junior high and has become like another big bro to us"**

"**So he's like family" **Embry said to them but looked at Jake.

"**Yeah, he is"** Andy nodded **"I might be the youngest but Izzy's the only girl so she's the baby sister. As you can see, as far as he's concerned she's still 10"**

As much as Jake looked around, Izzy was nowhere to be found. Half of him wanted to search high and low for her and not allow her to leave until she talked to him. His other half was urging him to give her time to cool off.

In the end Andy and Mark went home and he had no choice but to head home with Embry and the rest.

Jake was hoping the ride was a silent one. No such luck.

"**You're a moron"** Leah snorted

"**Leah"** Seth complained

"**Don't you dare defend him"** she snapped **"I don't care how much you idolize the idiot, that was a dickhead move he did to Izzy"**

Normally Jake would've told her exactly where to go and how, but this time he couldn't, she was right.

"**What the hell were you thinking, bro?"** Quil asked **"Even **_**I **_**know you don't eye a girl while you're with another"**

"**He wasn't thinking" **Leah said **"That's the problem. He's so screwed over that….pale face that he can't think straight"**

"**You really hurt her feeling, Jake" **Seth whispered

"**She seemed just fine with that guy**" Jake said before he could stop himself

"**Bro"** Quil shook his head

"**What the hell did you expect her to do?"** Leah snapped **"Cry her eyes out over you?"**

"**She didn't let me explain"**

"**Oh no, **_**that's**_** what you wanted" **she smirked **"For her to stand there with a smile while you said 'thanks for the spit swap, really enjoyed it, sorry I was more concerned about some other chick's reaction than your feelings but I hope we can do it again sometime'? Please!" **she rolled her eyes.

"**You know you have to apologize to her big time, don't you?" **Embry whispered

"**Yeah"** Jake breathed** "I know"**

For once the guys were silent and Jake couldn't be more grateful. Apart from Leah's 'men are the scum of the earth'-like comments, the rest of ride home was pretty quiet.

Jake sighed when Embry dropped him off at home. He didn't wanna be home, but he didn't really wanna be anywhere at the moment. He just wanted to be alone and think of what the hell he was gonna do to get Izzy to forgive him, or at least understand. But who was he kidding; he'll be lucky if she ever talked to him again.

He didn't wanna talk to anyone, he just wanted to lock himself in his room and go crazy in peace so he was praying his dad wasn't home, or at least be in his room; of course he would be sitting in the living room, waiting for him.

"**Hey, son"** his dad smiled **"Figured you ate, and a lot, so I didn't save you dinner"**

"**I'm good" **Jake mumbled on his way to his room **"Good night"**

"**Freeze!" **his dad exclaimed **"Get back here" **Jake turned around and slowly walked back **"Sit" **he pointed to the couch **"And tell me what's with you"**

Jake plopped on the couch and stared at the floor. His dad sighed impatiently.

"**Izzy and I kissed"**

"**Oh"** his dad smiled

"**In front of Bella"**

"**Oh!"** his eyes widened

"**And when the kiss was over, Izzy caught me staring at Bella"**

"**Oh-oh"** his dad winced

"**Yeah"** Jake breathed

"**Did she deck ya?" **

"**Dad!"**

**"I would've"** his dad shrugged

"**Thanks, dad"** Jake said sarcastically as he got up **"As usual, your talks are so helpful"**

"**Hey! If you don't know you screwed up royally and need to apologize to the girl, you need more help than I can give you or could afford to get you"**

…*****… *****… *****…

You can't exactly call it a sleepless night when you end up crying yourself to sleep around dawn. You _can_ call it a crappy night though. Izzy had a crappy night.

Manny knew her too well to not figure out something was bugging her in a major way. Izzy had to give him a reason and she did, but not the real one. She told Manny about the incident with Andy and the bully, and knowing well all about Andy's violence induced episodes and how much they affected her as well, he didn't doubt the story for a minute.

After the kiss and Jake's evident fascination with Bella, Izzy couldn't be there any longer. As usual Manny understood her need to get away and didn't have a problem with leaving the carnival immediately. Izzy was too shook-up to drive but Manny didn't have a problem with driving her around in circles until she 'calmed down'.

Izzy wanted to drive away, at the moment she wanted to put as much distance as she could between herself and Forks, but that was obviously a no-can-do so she had Manny drive around for about an hour. She would've asked him to ride for much longer but the creepy howling booming through the woods was freaking her out.

When they got home Ma was already sleeping and Mark and Andy were nowhere to be seen and she couldn't be happier about it. She thanked Manny for the ride, kissed him goodnight and ran up to her room.

Normally she would never lock her door, but if there was ever a night she needed to be sure she was left alone, it was that night. She turned all her lights off, just in case anyone thought of looking for her, changed into her pjs, pulled up hair in a messy bun and washed her face before hitting the bed. Izzy laid face down, buried her face in her pillow and gave into that burning knot in the back of her throat. Her pillow was soaked by the time she could get a handle on her emotions.

The sobbing stopped but the tears didn't. Streams ran down the side of her face as she laid back, staring out the window and up at the moon. She couldn't understand why she was so upset and that alone was upsetting. She only knew Jake for a week and yet the connection she felt when they kissed was indescribable and the pain afterwards was unbearable. _Why does he mean so much to me? Why do I care so much? Why does it hurt so bad?_

Izzy knew she shouldn't have been so upset. She knew what he felt for Bella. She knew his heart was taken. Problem was that your mind might know something but your heart wants to believe something else and no matter what the brain says, the heart feels what it wants to feel. Jake staring at Bella seconds after kissing her was a stinging, agonizing slap in the face, worst than if he had verbally said 'she's who matters'.

She ended the night by crying herself to sleep; by that time the sun was beginning to peak from behind the huge pines. She heard Manny and her brothers getting ready to head out around 8am but she ignored it and pulled the covers over her. Even though she'd been dying to go cliff diving, Andy knew there was no way she was going anywhere near LaPush, she couldn't thank him enough when he lied for her when he was sent to ask. The kid was such a sweetheart he didn't even bother, just went up the stairs, stood at her door, pretended to ask and went back down. _Gotta love the kid_

Izzy had every intention of hiding in her room all day but her stomach shot down that idea. Around 11am her stomach growled as loud as a lawn mower and she had no choice but to make a quick food run to the kitchen. Since she was gonna go right back to her hiding place, she didn't even bother to shower or get dressed. She never expected to find Ma sipping coffee, newspaper in hand at the kitchen table.

"**She lives"** Ma laughed

"**Hey, Ma"** Izzy said a bit startled **"Thought you were at work"**

"**Not till Noon"** Ma answered, automatically eyeing her and instantly knowing something was wrong and beyond the 'bully' story she had given Manny and no doubt Ma already knew cause everyone knew everything in their house **"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong or am I gonna beat it outta you?"**

Izzy exhaled sharply and sat across from her ma. There were no secrets between them, she never hid anything from her, not even when it concerned boys, and in this case she seriously needed a female's opinion on the matter. Ma listened quietly and attentively as Izzy gave her the play by play of everything said and done between Jake and Izzy in the past week. When she was done, Ma just stared back.

"**Say something"** Izzy said frantically

"**You want the girlfriend advice or the mother advice?"**

"**Both"**

"**Well, as a mother I say 'don't get all worked up over this cause he's a teenage boy and teenage boys do stupid things, like hurting a wonderful girl like you. And if he doesn't see how special you are then it's his lose'" **she said with her motherly advice look that then turned into a devious smile **"Now as a girlfriend I say 'give the kid another chance cause he has feelings for you. And is totally gorgeous'."**

"**Confusing much?"** Izzy complained **"And how do you know he has feelings for me?"**

"**From everything you just told me" **she answered, getting up to place her mug in the sink **"And because he's been sitting at our front steps, waiting for you since like 7am"**

"**What?" **Izzy exclaimed, standing and ready to make a run to her room.

"**I know my girl doesn't run from her problems"** Ma said kissing her cheek. Izzy exhaled in defeat** "And move it, honey"** she smiled** "Those concrete steps are probably killing his butt"**

"**Why didn't you have him come in?"**

"**Think I didn't try?" **Ma said a bit offended** "I couldn't force him, you know**

Ma laughed as Izzy ran to sink, washed her face, rinsed her mouth and did her best to fix her hair and pjs, which consisted of boxer shorts and tank top. Izzy was running to the front door when she remembered something.

"**Gorgeous?"**

"**Girl, please"** Ma smiled **"If I were 30 years younger, that would be your step-daddy"** Izzy couldn't help but laugh** "Go!" **Ma laughed, shoving her in the door's direction **"I'm heading out now" **she said grabbing her keys **"See you tonight. And good luck"**

The closer Izzy got to the door, the harder her heart pounded and the wobblier her legs got. The moment she saw Jake through the window her heart darn near exploded. _Keep it together, girl!_ He didn't look too comfortable sitting on the hard steps, leaning against the beam, a helmet dangling from each knee. She'd been in such a hurry to leave; she hadn't bothered to get them from Embry's car. She opened the door silently and walked to stand a few steps from him.

"**You could've left those with Ma or my brothers" **

"**Yeah, but I needed to talk to you"** he said as she sat on the same step he was, but as far as she could possibly get without going into the wall.

"**Then you could've called"** she added **"You didn't need to sit here all this time"**

"**You wouldn't have taken my calls" **he said shifting his body to face her.

"**True"** she nodded, looking straight ahead and not at him.

"**Look, Izz"** he said, scooting over closer to her** "I am so sor…"**

"**No"** she said finally turning to him **"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have behaved how I did last night, I mean it's not like I'm your girlfriend or we're dating or anything. The kiss was…."**

"**Awesome, beautiful, perfect"**

"**All of the above"** she half-smiled **"But I knew you had feeling for Bella so I should've known what to expect. There's no compromise between us so you don't owe me any explanations or apologies"**

"**But I wanna give them to you. I need to give them to you"**

"**Look Jake"** she breathed. _Lay it all out on the open _**"I am straight out. Some say I can be brutally honest, so I'm not gonna hold anything back" **she could feel her cheeks redden and he looked at her with curiosity and somewhat amusement **"I think you're funny, clever, outgoing, sweet and an all around good guy with a sunny personality who I love hanging out with and enjoy fixing cars covered in grease and going out searching for auto parts in the mud. **_**And**_** I happen to think you're absolutely gorgeous" **his eyes couldn't have gotten any wider **"I like you. I know we haven't known each other long but I can't help feeling that way about you. But I also know the way you feel about Bella and I rather have you as a cool friend than not at all, so if that means pretending last night didn't happen, then it didn't happen"**

Jake ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled sharply.

"**Can I talk now?"** he asked. She nodded **"I don't wanna forget last night" **It was her turn to be stunned **"You're right, I do have feelings for Bella. But I have feelings for you too, the kiss last night showed me that"** _Oh my god!_** "I was up all night" **he admitted **"And for the life of me I can't figure out where all this leaves you and me. You mean too much to me now to walk away from you"**

Izzy was praying to every Saint she knew to give her some sort of sign, to guide her in the right direction, to tell her what the hell to do. Nothing came to mind but Embry's words 'Be patient'.

"**Let's make a deal"** she said, still unsure of where she was going with that **"You and I? No labels, no compromises, no promises. Basically, no expectation, no disillusions. We'll continue to hang out and kick it like we have been, if we wanna hug, we do, we wanna hold hands, we do, we wanna make out on the dl, we can do that too" **she smiled as his eyes grew wider and wider** "We'll just let it be and see what happens"**

For a long minute Jake sat silent, though the expression on his face was evidence he was thinking everything over and quite frankly couldn't believe what he had just heard. Finally he smiled, shaking his head.

"**You're amazing, you know that?**

"**So? What do you say?"**

Jake answered the best way he could. The best way Izzy could ever think of. His soft, luscious lips claimed hers in a kiss that left her dazed and breathless. She couldn't walk away from him either, he also meant to much to her. She would follow Embry's advice and be patient, but she was not one to sit back and let things happen. Anything worth having is worth fighting for and she wanted Jake. _Game on!_

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **PHOTOBUCKET **and search **DESTINYSTORY** under **PEOPLE**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYSTYLE . BLOGSPOT . COM**


	7. Chapter 7

It took Izzy a moment to realize she was making out with a guy, during plain daylight, on her front steps, in her pjs. As much as she loved kissing Jake and wanted to continue doing so for hours on end, she didn't want to give the neighbors more to talk about. She was sure they had more than enough with the bike riding, the posse of boys she surrounded herself with and the incident at the carnival.

Jake was a little confused and or disappointed when she cut the kiss short but with one glance at the surrounding houses he understood the reason and smiled. His smile grew wider when he finally realized she was barefoot in her pajama boxers and tank top.

"**I should go get dressed"** she chuckled

"**I guess you have to"** he half-smiled causing her to blush a little **"I'll wait for you here"**

"**You can wait inside, you know" **she smiled. He looked towards the door a bit apprehensive **"No one's home"** she said **"The guys went cliffdiving, and Ma left for work a couple of minutes ago"**

"**Cliffdiving?"** he asked as she pushed him through the front door **"Why didn't you go? Thought you were dying to try it"**

"**I was. But I wasn't exactly in the mood to go anywhere near LaPush today"**

"**Ah"** he nodded, instantly knowing he was the reason** "And yet here I am"**

"**Yeah" **she laughed **"Wasn't expecting that"**

"**So what's the plan for today?"** he asked as she pushed him down on the couch.

"**First, clothes"** she said as she walked to the stairs **"Then food, cause I'm starving, and then we'll find something to do"**

"**We can still go cliffdiving" **he said as she made her way up the stairs

"**Really?"**

"**Yeah"** he smiled **"But that means only a light snack for now cause you can't go swimming with a full stomach"**

"**Can we pig out later?"**

"**Sure" **he nodded **"We can have a bonfire and roast hotdogs and stuff. We do it all the time"**

"**Cliffdiving and bbq, perfect!"** she beamed **"Much better than my chick-flick marathon idea"**

"**So **_**torture**_** was your plan?" **he laughed

"**Dork"** she laughed as she ran up the stairs.

There was no point in showering or wearing makeup if she was gonna be in and out of the water all afternoon, so Izzy changed into her black bikini, threw on some stripped teal booty shorts, black tank top and slipped on her teal converse. After brushing her hair and placing it in a pony tail, she ran down the stairs, where Jake was patiently waiting. She held up her right index finger, asking to wait a second while she ran in the kitchen. Since they needed to stop by the store to buy everything necessary for their bbq, she grabbed the keys to D's car and took her wallet and cell outta her purse.

"**Ok, let's go"** she jiggled the keys from the hallway **"You got pockets, right?"** she asked him as he walked up, he nodded a bit confused **"Good"** she smiled, walking behind him **"You can hold this for me"** He laughed when she slipped her cell in one of his back pockets and her wallet in the other.

They grabbed the big cooler and a couple of beach towels from the garage and threw them in the trunk of D's 2000 Honda CRX and headed to the grocery store. After stocking up with plenty of ice, sodas, wieners and sausages, buns, chips and every bonfire must, graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows for smores, they headed to first beach.

The trip to LaPush was nearly 15 minutes long; they listened to music and joked about probably hearing the guys scream from the road. When they reached the rez and heard the hollering and screaming coming clearly from the beach, they couldn't help but crack up.

Jake and Izzy filled the cooler with ice and sodas and placed the folded towels on top of it. Jake carried that while Izzy took the bags with everything else. They walked over to a spot where evidently bonfires were usually held because there were large logs that could be used as seats, surrounding a rock circle that enclosed burnt twigs and ashes.

To make sure the towels weren't blown away by the breeze, Jake suggested they placed the bags on top of them. Izzy was jumping in with her clothes and sneakers but Jake was not. Since he was holding her cell, wallet and keys in his pockets, they decided to place his pants in a bag to make sure nothing fell on them or outta them. She was ok when the pants came off, but was immensely surprised when he ditched the shirt. _Oh my god! Do not drool! Do not drool! Do not drool! _She had definitely felt was hiding underneath that piece of cloth, and had definitely imagined it but there was no way she could've known someone's body could be so perfect. He was lean, toned, and chiseled with washboard abs that would put Abercrombie models to shame._ Damn!_

She couldn't look at him without staring and she couldn't stare without drooling so she had to think of another thing to concentrate on. His hair was the perfect distraction. She offered to braid his hair. Just as she was done Andy and Seth ran up.

"**Food!"** Andy exclaimed with a head dive to the bags

"**No"** Izzy said blocking his way **"That's for later"**

"**Aw" **he pouted **"Alright then" **he shrugged **"Let's get you to the cliff"** he said grabbing her arm **"Maybe with you doing it, Mark will finally jump"**

"**He hasn't jumped?"**

"**Claims he's enjoying the view"** Seth smiled

"**It can be scary the first time"** Jake smirked. Everyone turned to him and narrowed their gaze with disbelief **"Well obviously for some it is"** he laughed pointing to Mark on the cliff.

Manny and Embry jumped off as they reached the lower level of the cliff. Mark was just chilling, looking out at sea as Quil stopped his cannon ball's running start to join Seth, Andy, Jake and Izzy. Jumping was such as rush, the water was cold but it only added to the thrill and Izzy loved it. Other than a smirk and a wink, Manny didn't make a big fuzz about her arriving with Jake, he kept it cool when she introduced them. Oddly enough it was Jake who was a little standoffish towards Manny at first, but pretty soon they were getting along just fine, all of them taking turns throwing her off the cliff. Mark however refused to jump. Manny even tried to deal he would jump off the top of the cliff, a good 20 feet higher, if Mark jumped off the lower level. Mark refused. Izzy was gonna get him to get over his fear and conquer that cliff if it was the last thing she did.

"**I jump"** she said **"If me, your little sister, younger and smaller than you, not to mention, a girl, could jump off the top of the cliff, you can jump off from here"**

"**Whoa!" **Seth, Quil, Embry and Andy chorused

"**You'd do that?"** Mark asked

"**For sure"** she nodded **"But, I jump, you jump"**

"**Izz?" **Jake said with concern. She couldn't remember when he went from calling her Izzy to just Izz, but she liked it **"**_**We**_** don't even jump from up there''**

"**She could do it"** Manny said before she could. He sized up the distance and nodded with a smile** "She's done crazier things than this"**

"**Why am I not surprised"** Jake half-smiled

She gave him a cheesy smile before turning to Mark. **"Deal?"**

Mark was not as wild and crazy as the rest of them, but he was not one to let someone punk him either. She knew that and was counting on it. He looked at the cliff for a moment and sighed deeply before finally nodding.

"**Deal"**

Izzy wanted to do it alone. The guys watched her make her way to the top with faces that showed a mixture of amusement and concern. All except Manny of course.

The view from the top was absolutely amazing. The sun was beginning to set, making the sky a canvas of orange, yellow and pink swirls that gently touched the water that was quickly changing from baby blue to navy. Her heart fluttered as she eased her way to the edge, not due to fear but to excitement and anticipation.

"**I wouldn't do that if I were you"** a voice said, causing her to stop. Izzy turned to see three guys standing a couple of feet from her, all in cutoff shorts and nothing else. They were tall and tanned like Jake, Quil and Embry, maybe a little taller, as impossible as it seemed, a bit buffer and obviously a bit older, late teens by the look of it. **"It's quite dangerous"**

The words came from the tallest and clearly oldest of the three, the leader of the pack you can say. The other two just stared at her, one looked curious about her, probably cause newcomers were rare in such small towns, but the other looked like he was sizing her up for dinner, eyes that screamed 'bad boy' and smile as mischievous and devious as he probably was.

"**Thanks for the concern"** she answered **"But I'm ok"**

"**They shouldn't let you jump from here" **he said as she was turning away, causing her to snap right around **"Especially alone"**

"**Let me?"** she snapped** "No one **_**lets**_** me do anything, ok? I don't need their permission and I certainly don't need yours so…Laters!**

She jumped off before anyone could stop her. She was beyond shocked when the devious giant's arms were wrapped around her as soon as she was airborne. The other two jumped right after.

…*****… *****… *****… ***** …*****…

Manny knew Izzy would jump and was absolutely sure she would be just fine, but just in case he wanted the guys to wait for her in the water. He wouldn't say it out loud but it was obvious he wanted them there in case something did go wrong and she needed help.

Jake was ready to hate Manny, only reason being the anger he felt when he threw her over his shoulder and ran off with her at the Carnival, but he was a really cool guy. He was like an older, bigger, male version of Izzy. And he evidently adored her, like a little sister.

Jake, Manny, Quil and Embry had been bobbing in the cold water for a few minutes and couldn't figure out what was taking Izz so long to jump. She wouldn't have backed down; they knew that, even if she would've, which they highly doubted, she would've said something already. Mark, Andy and Seth began to make their way to the top, to make sure nothing had happened to her when they saw her jump.

The guys looked at each other with the same confusion in their eyes. _What the hell!_ Jake couldn't come up with one good reason why Paul would have his arms wrapped around his girl. _Whoa! Did I just refer to Izzy as mine? _Further confusion kept Jake from deciphering that thought. Sam and Jared jumped.

Everything that followed was pretty fast. Paul towed Izz to shore without giving her a chance to swim on her own, and at a speed that didn't allow anyone to stop him or find out why he was doing it. Sam and Jared right behind, the rest of the guys a few feet behind them, reaching the shore only a few seconds after.

As soon as Izz reached land, she shoved Paul with all the force she had, which by the way he stumbled a few steps back, was much. Paul looked at his chest in disbelief, his macho-superman complex had been challenged and he couldn't believe it. His reaction didn't surprise Jake, it did surprise him how Sam and Jared were just as shocked. _Guess the macho-superman complex is contagious_

The moment Manny saw Izzy's reaction; his face read 'murder', Jake shared that feeling. Quil, Embry, Seth, Andy and Mark, who had finally jumped, shared a look of confusion and curiosity, which Jake also shared. Manny and Jake walked to stand in front of Izzy, sorta leaning towards each other to cover her body with theirs. Paul took a step back and Jake couldn't help notice it was due to a stern look from Sam, like a silent command from the master to his minion. Master who immediately took stand as a buffer between Paul and Jared and Manny and Jake, giving Jake that 'we're waiting for you' look he despised before placing his hands up in the universal 'we mean no trouble' hand wave.

"**He just wanted to make sure she made it down safely"** Sam stated

"**Did she ask for your help?"** Manny asked flatly

Izz yelled with indignation as she jumped to see over Jake and Manny "**I made it clear I didn't need or want your concern, much less your help!" **She finally got tired of jumping and pushed the guys aside to angrily wave her index finger at Paul **"And get this clear. If any part of you **_**ever**_** touches me again, I'll make sure you don't get it back" **

"**I believe that says it all" **Manny said dismissively.

"**We apologize"** Sam nodded **"We'll go now and let you enjoy the rest of your afternoon"** he said taking a step before turning back **"But very careful, the currents get quite strong and tend to sneak up on you"**

"**Sure you guys didn't know that"** Mark smirked in a whisper as Sam, Paul and Jared began to make their way from the beach "**I mean you've only been doing the cliffjumping thing, what, like **_**all your life**_**"**

None of them turned around or said anything further but Jake could've sworn he heard a low growl coming from Paul. _Great! Guy's a jerk and an animal_

By the time Sam and his minions were gone for good, the sun had set and it was too dark, therefore dangerous to continue cliffjumping. They began to set up the bonfire and Mark's smile couldn't get any wider. He claimed the sudden cheerfulness was due to the food cause he was starving but no one bought the story; they all knew he was glad no one would be forcing/conning him to jump any further.

While the guys ran around collecting dry twigs, Izzy began to get out of her wet clothes and shoes, stripping down to a small black bikini. Manny, Mark and Andy didn't even blink, it was their sister after all and they'd probably seen her like that a million times, Embry and Seth intentionally looked away as much as possible, but Quil was staring, and drooling. Death glares and rock throwing didn't seem to work on Quil so Jake had no choice but to give him a good shove, causing him to fly a few feet before landing face first in the sand. Izzy giggled at the face plant, but to avoid any further she wrapped one of the beach towels around herself.

Jake could've lied and say the devouring of food was due to the workout of hiking up the cliff, the adrenaline of the jump or the swim, but truth was they guys ate a lot. Izzy had 2 hotdogs while the guys had 5 or 6, she had a handful of chips while they had a family sized bag and had a soda or two while they had a six packs. She confessed to having a sweet tooth and proved it by indulging a few smores, eating them with too much joy.

They had been arguing the differences between oldschool horror movies and new ones and which was better for most of the evening so when the breeze got too cold for the teens with damp clothes, except Izzy whose clothes were not only dry but warm and toasty from the fire, they decided on having a movie night at Izzy's house.

After cleaning up, Quil and Embry joined Manny and Mark on a munchies run to the store. Andy and Seth jumped on the car with Izzy and Jake. They spent most of the drive suggesting different horror movies they could watch. Then House of Pain's 'Jump Around' began to play.

"**I love this song!"** they all chorused before erupting in laughter.

Izzy turned up the volume as loud as it went and within seconds they were all singing along, every one of them louder than the next and completely off key, but it made it that much more fun. The windows were only slightly cracked but Jake had no doubt all of Forks could hear them.

When they arrived at Izzy's house, Andy and Seth ran into the house, yelling something about getting the best seats. When Jake looked at Izz with confusion she laughed **"Home Theater"**

Home theaters were something Jake had only heard on tv or seen on magazines, hell, he and his dad drove to Charlie's house to watch games on his flat-screen cause their tv, like all other tvs in the rez, was small and crappy. He smiled to himself when he thought how Billy would react when he heard. Knowing his dad, they would be visiting a different house for games.

About halfway from the driveway to the front door, Jake was taken over by the eerie feeling of being watched. It was ridiculous to think someone would be hiding the dark woods watching a couple of teenagers doing nothing particularly interesting, but he just couldn't shake it. Izzy buried her brows before rolling her eyes, and then pushed him the rest of the way. Jake halted when she saw Mary, Izzy's mom, who he had embarrassingly met that morning, was leaning on the doorway with a big smile. When Izz noticed she couldn't move him anymore, she peaked around him to see why.

"**Hey, Ma" **Izzy smiled widely

"**Honey"** Mary smiled back** "How was cliffdiving?"**

"**Awesome" **she beamed

"**Glad you had good time"** her mom nodded** "And Jake, so nice to see you back"**

"**Hello, Mrs. Fox" **he smiled nervously as Izzy shoved him harder, inching him to the door.

"**Oh, please, sweetie"** she flipped her hand** "Call me Mary. Or Ma" **she smiled **"Everyone else does"**

"**Mary"** he nodded like a dork. _Idiot!_

Mary and Izzy laughed, at him he was sure. He didn't blame them, he wouldn't just be laughing, he would be teasing, good thing they were too nice to do that to him.

"**Movie night, I hear?"** Mary asked. Izzy nodded **"Basement's all yours"** she smiled** "I'm dead tired, so it's a hot bath and bed for me" **she sighed **"Guys getting munchies?"**

"**Of course"**

It was cool and sorta sweet how Mary related to her kids and how well she knew them. His dad was a lot like that and he was sure his mom would've been just like Mary, many said she had been.

"**Get here a minute earlier and you would've had one more guest"**

"**What?** Izz asked in confusion **"What guest?"**

"**Dr. Cullen's daughter was here no more than 5 minutes ago"** Mary answered** "Sweet little thing" **she smiled. _Alice Cullen? What the hell does she want with Izzy_?** "Said she wanted to introduce herself since she knew you were new in town"**

"**Hmm"** Izz snorted in disbelief **"Saw her last night and she didn't even say hello"**

Mary shrugged; Izzy's shrug was a dismissive one. _There goes that feeling again. _Jake looked around before closing the door behind him but all he saw was dark woods. _Weird!_

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **PHOTOBUCKET **and search **DESTINYSTORY** under **PEOPLE**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYSTYLE . BLOGSPOT . COM**


	8. Chapter 8

What was meant to be a horror movie standoff, turned into a marathon. How does one stay awake and lucid for a 20 hour blood bath variety? With the help of gallons of Mountain Dew and buckets of candy. They didn't emerge from the basement till around 4pm Sunday afternoon, at which point Ma took Jake, Quil, Seth and Embry home, doubtful anyone else could stay awake long enough to do so. By 6pm, Izzy had been out for the night for quite some time.

She'd been so tired and sleepy she'd forgotten to set her alarm, good thing 12 hours of sleep was more than enough. Izzy was up and showering for school by 7am, and while Mark and Andy had breakfast, she tried on outfit after outfit. While her brothers headed to school, making sure to be extra early to check out the girls before class, Izzy finally got dressed and fixed her hair and makeup. Since being late was never good but particularly bad on the first day of school, she quickly scarfed down a bagel and cup of hot chocolate before grabbing her Burberry book bag, helmet and keys and running out the door.

By the time she pulled into Forks High's parking lot most kids were headed to their classrooms, but there were still enough hanging around to make her arrival awkward. Izzy was used to the stares and whispers so she ignored it, turning her ipod up full blast, Joan Jett's 'Bad Reputation' (her anthem)playing, threw her helmet in the trunk of Mark's car and walked without paying anyone any attention.

Unlike back home where the schedules were mailed out prior to the start of school, Forks had a set up with 4 tables, one for each grade, where you had to state your name for the office worker at which point he or she looked for your schedule printout, handed it to you and pointed you in the right direction.

Advisory Mr. Hunter Rm 115

1st – Biology Mr. Molina Rm 103

2nd – English Mrs. King Rm 206

3rd – AP Calculus Mr. Lewis Rm 27

4th – Art Mrs. Bennett Rm Bungalow B

LUNCH

5th –U.S. History Mr. Urlacher Rm 45

6th – Phys. Ed. Mrs. Weekes Gym

_Well at least I don't have to walk around school all sweaty_

Advisory was another name for homeroom, nothing but 15 minutes that consisted of role call and school news, and then off to first period. Biology class what was to be expected, a couple of rows of high counters with stools, separated in sets of two of course, beakers, mixers, magnifying machine thingies and pictures of all sorts of cells. Mr. Molina seemed like a very enthusiastic teacher, greeting everyone as they walked in the door. Izzy ignored the eyes following her and walked to the back of the class, taking the chair in the corner.

Izzy was glad Mr. Molina wasn't one of those teachers who loved to force students into the whole 'hello, my name is..' crap, nope, he was too busy trying to get his class going. After roll call he announced lab partners would be picked at random, girls got to pick a boy's name out of a hat. Her little piece of paper said CHRISTIANO SALVIATI. The gasps and looks of envy should've tipped her off but Izzy looked up expecting some geeky exchange student of some sort, boy was she wrong. The kid was tall, not LaPush tall, but 6'2 was pretty nice, body proved he was the athletic type, yummy, tanned skin, dark brown curly hair, matching eyes with long curly eyelashes, cute defined nose and sexy lips that turned into a crooked half-smile as he took the seat next to hers.

"**Its Chris"** he half-smiled, extending his hand which she gladly shook

"**Izzy"** she said as Mr. Molina continued making rounds with the hat.

"**Ah!"** he smiled **"She has a name" **She buried her brows, not caring everyone in the classroom was staring without bothering to pretend they weren't. His smile turned into a chuckle **"Heard many things, but no one could give me a name"**

"**I've been here a grand total of 45 minutes" **she cocked her brow** "What could you have possibly heard?"**

"**You know, small town, people talk"**

"**The carnival"** she nodded. _of course _**"Which means you've heard I ride a motorcycle, I hang out with guys from LaPush and I knocked out a guy cold, right?"**

"**You left out 'has two brothers' and 'is totally hot"** he smiled flirtatiously. She narrowed her gaze in disbelief but couldn't hide the smile **"Hey" **he chuckled **"The first is sexy, the second is intriguing, third is totally bad ass, fourth is cool and kinda explains the previous three and the last"** he smiled checking her out **"Is an understatement"**

"**Wow"** she smiled sarcastically **"Smooth"**

He laughed and winked at her and she couldn't help but laugh too. _Biology's gonna be very interesting._ What little time remained of class, they spent talking, laughing and joking around while Mr. Molina went on and on about the year's curriculum. Chris asked where she had moved from but didn't hound her for information something that she thought was really cool. He told her about himself, born and raised in Seattle, Brazilian parents, was an only child and moved to Forks when he was 11. When the bell rang, he volunteered to walk her to second period, since she didn't know her way around the school. Izzy was tempted to accept but opted to be pointed in the right direction.

The moment she walked into English class, she was flagged down by a smiley redhead in a Harry Potter t-shirt that looked like a Hogwarts uniform sweater, tie and all, blue jeans and doc marten MaryJanes. The black of her shirt made her blue eyes pop out and her red hair stand out. She was really pretty, definitely outgoing and by the looks of it, determined to be Izzy's friend.

"**Saved you a seat"** she stated. Though there were plenty of other empty seats available, Izzy thanked her and took the seat. "**I'm Alyson"** she smiled** "But everyone calls me Ally. By the way, how tall are you?"**

"**I'm Izzy"** she chuckled, amused by Alyson's personality** "And I'm five nine"**

"**Yes!" **she jerked her elbow** "Finally, a girl taller than me"**

"**I feel you"** Izzy smiled. Being a tall girl could suck. No heels for you.

Ally and Izzy were gonna get along great. She was a lot like her best friend Ariel. First thing Ally did was compliment her on her black boots, gray wool shorts, and black off the shoulder blouse. Then she decided to give her the rundown on the junior class, pointing out the snobs, the preps, the jocks, the nerds, the losers guys to stay away from, the hotties, making clear which were single and which were just eye candy and the cool juniors and seniors to make friends. Of course no rundown would be complete without the good'ol gossip.

Izzy was not surprised to hear Bella Swan was topic of gossip. She was the last new girl to move to Forks, was friends with the hot but mysterious boy from LaPush (Jake) and was dating the senior hottie Edward Cullen.

"**I don't see what the fuss is about"** Ally whispered **"She's ok"** she shrugged **"Personally I think she's a whiney do nothing who acts like she's seventy and not seventeen" **Of course the Cullens were also much gossiped about, no shocker there **"Jasper, he's cute but kinda weird. He's with the little one, Alice. All the girls drool over Edward" **she rolled her eyes **"He's not my type"** she scrunged her nose **"Too pale and broody for me. But whatever he's with Bella" **she said dismissively **"To me Emmett is the hottest of the Cullens"** she smiled sheepishly **"But he's taken, by the blonde one, they graduated already **_**and**_** I already have a boyfriend" **Izzy was gonna ask who but she was beaten to it **"I've been with Chase Collins for almost 8 months now" **she smiled proudly before her eyes widened in an evident stroke of genius **"You know what, his best friend Chris would be perfect for you. That's if you don't have a boyfriend. Do you?"**

"**Salviati?"**

"**You've met him?" **Ally whispered, scooting over as much as possible and acting like she was TMZ and she'd gotten the scoop of the year **"When? Where? How?"**

"**Relax" she** smiled "**First period. He's my lab partner"**

"**And?" **Ally practically breathed, trying to keep Mrs. King from looking over at them _again_ **"Do you like?"**

"**He's very cute" **she answered honestly.

"**Hmm" **Ally said, eyeing Izzy in a way she couldn't understand.

Mrs. King kept a close eye on the two girls the rest of the period, which kept them from talking any further. Ally rushed to Izzy the moment the bell rang.

"**So what's your next period?"**

"**AP Calculus"**

"**Ugh, you brain" **she complained comically **"That class is like all seniors. 4****th**** period?"**

"**Art with Mrs. Bennett"**

**"Awesome, we have that class together" **she smiled **"Then we'll hang for lunch, ok?"**

"**Ok" **Izzy nodded before heading to her next class.

Ally had been right, the class had mostly seniors, including Mark, and luck would have it, the Cullens, Edward, Jasper and Alice. Mark was smiling away with a girl, and even though there was no way he could've know they had the same class, she still gave him the 'why didn't you save me a seat' look. There were only 2 seats available, one in the middle row next to a guy who looked like he was preparing to take his final exams, note paper, pencils, erasers, and calculator all set up already and the class had yet to start, and one to its right, next to Alice Cullen and in front of Edward and Jasper. _Great! _

Izzy never took notes, she'd learned in junior high that whenever she took notes, it'd be a scribble that made sense at the moment but would later be a nothing more than an enigma. She learned better by listening and watching. Once she heard how something was done and saw how it was done, 9 times outta 10 it would end up imbedded in her brain. To top it off, her brain worked differently than most, the moment she saw a problem, her brain automatically went to work and solved it, which meant she ended with the answer prior to doing the actual work. Left brainers like the kid with the empty seat had a hard time understanding her way of learning and tended to sum it up as cheating, especially when she got a better grade then they did. Izzy was _so_ not gonna spend an entire semester dealing with that. She took the seat next to Alice Cullen.

"**Hi" **she said with a whimsical voice and a big smile **"I'm Alice….Cullen"**

"**Izzy" **Izzy smiled

"**Yeah, I know**" Alice admitted **"Your mom works with my dad**" she stated **"I was at your house on Saturday evening but you weren't there"**

"**Yeah, Ma told me" **she nodded **"I got home like 5 minutes later"**

"**Just wanted to introduce myself" **Alice smiled** "I know how hard it is to be a newcomer in a small town like this one and thought you might need a friend. ….well a girl friend cause I know you have plenty of guy friends"**

"**I have 3 brothers, I'm used to hanging with guys" **she smirked** "But I appreciate the gesture"  
**

"**I'm sure we can hang out some other time"**

"**Sure" **Izzy nodded. _Only If that doesn't include Bella Swan _

"**I know we saw each other at the carnival, but we didn't really get to talk so I wanna introduce my brother" **

Izzy had to turn half her body to see who she was trying to avoid. Her brother smiled crookedly with a mild head bow.

"**Edward Cullen" **he said in a smooth and pleasant voice than reminded Izzy of the relaxation cds Ma listened to during a weird, but thankfully short, 'self help' phase.

"**And my boyfriend" **she smiled

**"Jasper Hale, mam" **her boyfriend bowed, making Izzy feel like she had gone back in time about a century or so.

Edward didn't seem as broody as Ally had described, but she could see why he wasn't her type. But she was definitely right about Jasper, he was very cute, a bit weird and apparently preoccupied with something else, but a cutie anyways. There was an awkward moment of silence between them, thankfully Chris walked in, giving the perfect distraction and change of topic.

"**I think you're following me" **he smiled, taking the empty seat, which put the perfect space between her and the left brainer.

"**You know that would make more sense if you'd gotten here first, right**?" she smiled

"**So what's the rest of your schedule like?"**

"**Art, U.S. History, then P.E."**

"**Mr. Urlacher?" **She had to check her schedule. Sure enough, 5th period history was with Mr. Urlacher. She smiled and nodded **"I knew you were stalking me"**

"**You wish" **she laughed. He wiggled his brows with a cheesy smile.

As all teachers do on the first day of class, Mr. Lewis went on and on about the year's curriculum and pointed out all the help we could possibly get if we had any sort of trouble with any matter. Izzy zoned out about 15 minutes into his speech and began doodling on her notebook. She was in another world completely until a note in perfect penmanship slid in front of her.

_**Your phone is buzzing**_

'thank you' she mouthed to Alice before fishing for the cell phone in her bag. It was a message from Jake. A picture of him making the funniest face imaginable. It took everything in her not to laugh out loud.

Bored outta my mind. hows your day so far? – J.B. 

Izzy had to shift her body a little in order to hide the use of her phone. That must've allowed Edward and Jasper to see the pic cause it was obvious they were holdng in smiles. Izzy smiled and texted back.

in ap calculculus. enough said. lol *Iz*ee* 

Yuck! So? Any new boyfriends yet? – J.B. 

So far only 1 with potential ;p *Iz*ee* 

-_- ha ha ha 

xD garage 4pm? *Iz*ee* 

Wouldnt miss it – J.B. 

Another note slipped in front of her. _**Boyfriend? **_Izzy shook her head. Alice cocked her perfect eyebrow in a silent but obvious 'yeah right'.

_**cool friends **_Izzy wrote down.

_**Cool? More like **__**very close**__** friends **_

The girl and half the town had seen her locking lips with Jake at the carnival, of course she would think they were dating, or getting close to it. But rather than get into details she herself many times didn't understand, Izzy smiled and simply wrote back _**Its complicated**_

Saved by the bell. Alice didn't have a chance to ask any further questions. Not that Izzy would ever tell her the real deal her and Jake. It was kinda hard to explain there was a lot happening but nothing going on. Hell, she didn't get it half the time.

Art went by pretty quick. And since they were too busy doing self portraits, Ally and Izzy didn't talk much. As class ended, Izzy was invited to sit at Ally's table, which of course was better than eating alone or like a loser with only her brothers, she accepted. As they walked out the door a tall dark blonde, blue eyed cutie walked up to Ally and took her hand. Ally immediately introduced her boyfriend Chase Collins, who was about 5'11, slender but athletic and like his girlfriend, all smiles and just as friendly.

Being the playboy Mark was, he didn't wanna be with seen with just one girl, and since he didn't have any real friends yet, he decided to join Izzy and her new friends for lunch. Andy walked into the cafeteria a few minutes later and b-lined it directly to Izzy's side. With Mark on one side and Andy in the other, Izzy felt more comfortable talking and joking around with Ally and Chase, who was just as easy going as she was. Having her brothers also made it easier to ignore the looks and whispers of _everyone else_ .

Ally's table was smack in the middle of the 'Cullen' table, where Edward and Bella whispered away in their own world and Jasper and Alice, who appeared to be eating but really were pushing food around and scanning their surroundings, and the 'senior' table, where Ally pointed out Angela Webber, who looked over shyly and smiled, her boyfriend Ben Cheney, who glanced over curiously, Jessica Stanley, who was sending Izzy visual daggers, probably cause her boyfriend, the blonde next to her, Mike Newton, and his friends Tyler Crowley and Eric Yorkie were giving Izzy what her brother called, 'how you doin' smiles. The last to arrive at their table was Lauren Mallory, who looked just as she was described, a total bitch. The last to arrive to Ally's table, their table, was Chris, who gave Izzy a big smile as he took the seat next to Chase.

5th period zoomed by joking around, and let's face it, playfully flirting with Chris, who of course sat next to her. In a way Izzy was glad they shared the class, she hated history, thought it was the most boring subject in the world and he could keep her from falling asleep.

P.E. went over the basic rules, did a quick run of the curriculum, and after passing out uniforms and assigning lockers, the girls were given free time to get to know one another. Of course to high school girls that meant 'go hang with your clique and talk about the clique next to you'. Izzy got to hear from Ally all the stories buzzing around about her, which Ally was afraid would upset her. She was relieved when Izzy didn't give a damn.

By the time the last bell rang Izzy couldn't be happier the day was over. If she was asked to give her life story again, or heard another group of kids whispering, or caught someone staring, she was gonna punch someone. She walked with Ally but it took her forever to get her locker to work, so by the time they walked to the parking lot, Mark and Andy were long gone. They were nice enough to leave her helmet dangling from the handle bar. Chase was waiting for Ally and surprise, surprise, Chris was with him.

"**You busy?" **Ally asked as she took Chase's hand

"**Did you guys need a ride or something?" **she asked, hoping they didn't cause how could she give them a ride, unless she took them one by one.

"**Nah" **Chase shook his head **"I gotta car" **he smiled, pointing with his head to an old brown Chevy bronco.

"**You don't drive?" **Izzy asked Ally

"**Not right now" **she answered a bit embarrassed "**I sorta wrecked my car"**

"**Sorta?" **Chris laughed

**"She wrecked 3 in a 6 month period" **Chase laughed

"**I'm not a very good driver" **

Izzy smiled as Ally blushed and Chase and Chris laughed. _Note to self, Ally behind wheel means run in opposite direction and alert the villagers_

"**She not allowed near any kind of wheels" **Chris laughed

"**It's a wonder how she got through her driving test without crashing" **Chase laughed

"**Hey, we still haven't ruled out that she bribed the guy" **Chris continued laughing.

"**So it's only shopping carts for you, ha? Or are you those banned too?" **Izzy joked. Chase and Chris began to laugh uncontrollably and Ally just looked away, annoyed. As much as she didn't like upsetting the girl, she just had to know what was behind that reaction. **"What?" **

"**Let's just say there was an incident involving her, a shopping cart and a pyramid of tomato soup cans"** Chris laughed

"**Did the cans suffer?" **Izzy laughed

"**No" **Chase dropped his head in mock sorrow, placing his hand over his heart** "They died on impact"**

"**Alright, alright" **Ally exclaimed to shut their laughter** "Changing the subject" **she turned to Izzy** "Do you wanna go do something with us?" **

"**Love to but can't" **Izzy answered honestly **"I have plans already" **which reminded her of the time and checked her cell 3:30 **"I gotta run" **she began to walk away** "Gotta be there by 4. Maybe some other time"**

"**Yours?" **Chase and Ally chorused as she pointed to the bike. Izzy nodded** "You gotta take me for a ride sometime!"**

"**As a passenger, any time" **Izzy smiled and waved by to the trio.

Izzy placed her ipod earphones on, blasted her anthem, Joan Jett's 'Bad Reputation', placed on her helmet and jetted off to her house. Without bothering to look for her brothers, who she knew weren't home by the missing car, or Ma, who she knew was at work, Izzy ran to her room, changed into jean shorts, pink hello kitty t-shirt and white and pink adidas, and ran back out. She was in LaPush as agreed, 4pm.

Jake was in the garage waiting for her. She couldn't help feel her heart thud loudly the moment she set eyes on him or the warmth that rushed over her when he smiled at her. He threw his arms around her in a big hug and gave her a sweet and quick kiss on the lips. She would've wanted more, but was happy with the greet.

"**So, crazy girl" **he smiled** "Tell me all about your first day"**

"**Ooh, what should we talk about first" **she asked sarcastically **"The theories of why I got here after my family, the million and one versions of what happened at the carnival or the hundreds of times I was told to give my life story in sixty seconds or less ?"**

"**Whichever is more entertaining" **Jake laughed, throwing a rag at her head.

It was so nice to be with Jake and not be the focus of stares, gossip and curiosity. As they always did, they worked on the Rabbit, he worked she assisted, they ate dinner, laughed, hung out and by the end of the night, Forks High was all forgotten, thanks to Jake and few kisses.

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out Izzy's new friends and other story pics at **PHOTOBUCKET **and search **DESTINYSTORY** under **PEOPLE**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYSTYLE . BLOGSPOT . COM**


	9. Chapter 9

Friday at last! Though the first week of school had gone better than she expected, Izzy felt relieved it was almost over. The whispers and stares were less and less but the guys were coming around more and more, though none had the guts to make a move. _Thank goodness!_

As usual, Ally was walking her to her 3rd period classroom, which was right across from her own, when the blonde and far too friendly Mike Newton popped outta nowhere and blocked their way.

"**Hey there, Ally"** he smiled though he was looking directly at Izzy **"Beautiful company you keep"**

Izzy had to bite her tongue and not yell 'Oh please!' Ally must've read her mind and said it herself.

"**Did your girlfriend break up with you again, Mike?" **

"**Jessica, right?"** Izzy smirked **"Isn't she the little one you were holding hands with this morning?"**

Mike looked around nervously, unsure of what to say. Finally he came up with **"Jessica's a friend"**

Ally and Izzy shared a 'yeah right!' look as the Cullens passed by, giving Mike a 'you are in deep shit' smirk.

"**I'm sure Jessica will **_**love**_** to hear that**" Ally laughed** "But **_**anyways**_**, you're wasting your time, Newton. Izzy's taken"**

Izzy snapped her head at Ally. _When did this happen?_

"**Is that right?"** Mike smirked **"By who?" **

Mike and Izzy stared at Ally. _Yeah, by who? I wanna know!_

"**By me"** Chris said, placing his arm around Izzy's waist. _WTF?_ Izzy was surprised her eyes didn't pop outta her head at that moment. **"See you at lunch, Al"** he smiled at Ally while guiding Izzy to class, his arm still around her.

Edward, Alice and Jasper were hanging outside the door, with a look that Mike probably shared, and Izzy definitely shared, surprise.

"**Thanks for the save" **Izzy whispered**" But you know we're not together, right?"** she asked to make sure. Chris smiled widely **"Chris?"**

"**I know, I know"** he rolled his eyes **"We're not together" **he smiled **"Yet"**

_Oh god!_ Chris was beyond yummy. He was nice, smart and fun to flirt with, but Izzy knew there was only one guy for her. The guy who caused her to drive to LaPush every afternoon, the one she spent every spare moment with, the one she longed for all day long, Jacob Black.

"**Ha ha ha"** she smiled sarcastically, getting out of his hold **"You have fun with that"**

Alice and Jasper looked amused by the situation, which didn't bother Izzy, she probably would've been amused to if it happened to someone else, but Edward confused her a little. The guy described as broody and withdrawn was smiling away, completely enjoying her dilemma. It was as if he could read her mind. Izzy narrowed her gaze which caused him to smile wider.

"**Oh, shut up!'** she smirked at him on her way in the door.

Edward laughed out loud as he, Alice and Jasper followed her and Chris inside. Edward and Jasper gave her genuine smiles as they passed her on their way to their seats. Alice was doing her hardest to hold in a smile but when Izzy gave her the 'stop it' look, a pixie giggle chimed throughout the classroom.

Lunch was hilarious. Mike conspicuously looked everywhere but at her, which of course the always nosy Jessica noticed immediately. Izzy couldn't care less but evidently the 'taken' news had been passed on to Eric and Tyler cause they looked at Izzy with the kind of look she got when she found out Ma had baked her favorite cookies but her brothers had eaten them all, a mixture of disappointment, anger and indignation. Ally and Izzy looked at each other and burst into laughter. As they walked to their table, Edward, Alice and Jasper looked up at her and as if they had an inside joke that had never actually been said out loud, they shared a quick laugh. Bella and Izzy shared the same look of curiosity but neither said anything, well at least Ally didn't, Izzy was sure Edward would explain to Bella later.

Before she knew it, they schoolday was over and Ally and Izzy were changing out of their P.E. clothes.

"**Please tell me you're not gonna blow us off again**" Ally said, throwing her sweat shorts in her backpack. Izzy scrunched her face, knowing the reaction she would have to her answer **"Come on! It's Friday!" **she exclaimed while pulling off her t-shirt **"I'm sure you can blow off whatever it is you do after school for one day"**

Izzy hadn't realized she had never given Ally and explanation for her disappearing act. The girl probably thought she was being a snob, blowing the off for better things. Any other time, she would've called Jake and explained but they had made plans for a dinner and movie in Port Angeles with the guys.

"**I'm sorry if it feels like I'm blowing you off"**

"**You're not?"** she asked without sarcasm

"**My friend is building his car from scratch"** Izzy explained** "I promised to help. And that's what I do everyday afterschool, I work with him on the car"** _Amongst other things._

"**That is so cool"** she smiled **"But you should've told me"** she laughed giving Izzy a playful shove** "Making me thing you don't wanna hang with me" **

Izzy laughed and then had a genius idea. She loved hanging with the guys, it didn't bother her in the least to be the only girl in the group, but she knew Quil and Embry would love to throw another girl in the mix. While Ally fought with her locker, Izzy texted Jake.

Hey there hotness. Mind if i bring a friend with me today? *Iz*ee*

Friend? –J.B.

She's pretty! Lol *Iz*ee*

Quil and Embry will love you! Lol –J.B.

Lol! Ok then, c u 4 *Iz*ee*

"**How 'bout you blow off **_**your**_** plans today and go with me?"** Izzy suggested. Ally instantly began to think it over **"We can hang in LaPush with my hot friends from the rez, and then we could go to Port Angeles for a group dinner and a movie"**

"**Hot guys from the rez?" **she beamed** "I'm **_**so**_** in"**

"**Ok" **Izzy smiled** "But you have to agree to certain things" **Ally paid close attention **"First of all you have to be ok with riding on the back of the motorcycle at high speeds" **Ally smiled widely and nodded **"You will get dirty, probably muddy" **she scrunged her nose but nodded** "You will definitely get hit on" **her big blue eyes went wide but she nodded **"We'll probably be back late" **she shrugged dismissively** "And we'll have an awesome time"**

"**I'll have to call my mom but, **_**hell yeah!**_**" **she smiled. Just to be on the safe side, Ally asked if she could sleep over at Izzy's. Her parents requested to speak to Izzy and Ma, but as she expected, they agreed.** "I rather avoid a 'be safe' sermon from my parents"** she rolled her eyes **"So do you mind if I borrow clothes?"**

"**Not at all" **

Izzy and Ally were about the same size and had similar taste, most of the time. Her closet was filled with outfits she could choose from. With that settled they rushed to the parking lot and quickly said goodbye to Chase and Chris. Not expecting to have passengers, there was only one helmet, which Izzy made sure Ally wore before the hauled ass to her house.

As usual, Ma was at the hospital, Andy had been invited to go to Seattle for the weekend with Seth and his family so he was packing, and since Friday night meant date night, Mark was starting off his pre-date ritual, which consisted of hair cut, work out and then gel mask during a hot bath.

With backpacks tossed somewhere in Izzy's room and the girls changed into shorts, t-shirts and sneakers, they each grabbed a helmet and practically flew to Jake's house.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Jake had grown accustomed to he and Izz's routine, school, garage, where they did more talking and laughing than actual work on the Rabbit, homework, which meant she did hers in no-time then helped him with his, dinner, which they took turns cooking, and long goodbyes, which in most cases included a lot of making out. He loved their routine.

When she texted him and asked if she could bring a friend over, his stomach involuntarily did a summersault. All week long the name 'Chris' was mentioned whenever she talked about school, something he didn't like in the least, but he had no right to say anything about it, so he bit his tongue, blood drawn many times, and kept his big mouth shut. The smile that crossed his face when she said it was a girl wasn't only cause he was thinking about Quil and Embry's reaction.

He was in the garage with Quil and Embry, who had been extremely excited from the moment he mentioned Izz was bringing a friend along, when the girls arrived. Dad loved the girl, and the feeling was mutual, so as it had turned customary, she went in to the house and said hello to his him before heading to the back and joining the guys.

Izz had mentioned her friend was very pretty and she wasn't lying, the girl was about an inch shorter than Izz, red hair cut in a short bob, big blue eyes, milky skin and a huge smile on her face. As usual Embry was quiet and shy while Quil beamed and drooled. Jake and Izz looked at each other and smiled; something her friend noticed and her expression changed, like she'd just gotten the piece to a puzzle she had been trying to solve.

"**So he's the but"** she whispered to Izz

"**What?"** Izz whispered back, her brows buried in deep confusion.

"**Later"** the friend smiled when she noticed their whispers were heard.

Izz hugged Quil and Embry, leaving Jake's hug for last and as usual they sneaked in a quick peck which Embry always noticed but pretended not to.

"**Your clothes?"** he chuckled, pointing with his chin to her friend's shorts and NFL t-shirt.

"**That obvious, ha?"** she laughed. _It is to me._

Izz introduced her friend as Ally, who Quil immediately attached himself to, though she seemed to talk more to Embry. While Jake and Izz planned their trip to Port Angeles, what time to leave, where to have dinner, which movie to watch, what car to take and stuff, Quil asked Ally a million questions, while Ally tried to pull words outta Embry.

"**You're really quiet, aren't you?"** Ally smiled at Embry **"I like you"**

Embry was turning all sorts of colors which was pretty funny, but not as funny as the look that crossed Quil's face. Jake and Izz couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"**You can sit, you know"** Izz said to Ally, who had been leaning against the work bench all along. Izz was used to hanging in the garage and could care less where she sat, though Jake always made sure to the stool was free to her she'd rather sit legs crossed on the dirt floor, which was muddy 90% of the time. Ally eyed the ground and apprehensively sat, probably trying not to get dirty. Izz laughed **"It's just a little dirt"**

Izz threw a handful of mud at Ally's leg. Ally's reaction, priceless. The girl's eyes got as wide as saucers and she gasped, her mouth staying wide open in shock. Izzy was dying. Jake was not sure what happened next cause it all went to fast but before he knew it, the girls were rolling around on the floor, covered in mud from head to toe, laughing their asses off. Jake, Quil and Embry could do nothing but stare, completely speechless. Finally Izz and Ally got up, throwing mud off themselves left and right.

"**Can you hose us off**?" Izz asked him

"**What?"**

"**We can't get on the bike like this"** she laughed **"So hose us off, will ya?" **_Can't!_ When he didn't answer or move she buried her brows **"What's with you?"** _Got a big issue going on here and I can't move!_

"**Will you at least tell us where the hose is?"** Ally chuckled

Jake's mind was not working properly. Probably cause all his blood was rushing elsewhere. Good thing for him Mark showed up causing the perfect distraction. HE took one look at the girls and laughed his ass off.

"**Damn, sis! Give your brother a call next time!"** he boomed with laughter **"I could've had a crowd of guys here paying good money to witness this"**

"**Shut up!" **she and Ally chorused** "Make yourself useful and rinse us off, will ya?" **Izz added** "Hose should be other somewhere"**

While Mark laughed at how the girls screamed due to the cold water, Jake, Quil and Embry sat quietly, not trying to draw attention to the fact they couldn't move. And the wet t-shirt contest moment was not helping.

Mark had shown up to swap wheels with Izz. Since his car was slightly bigger than their brother's car, he had offered Izz take it for the trip to Port Angeles. Of course he pretended that driving his date on Izz's bike was just a perk to his good deed.

Mark said hello and goodbye and was off. With an agreement to pick the guys up at six, the girls waved goodbye as well and took off. Jake, Quil and Embry instantly began talking about sports, doing their best not to think about what they had been fortunate enough to witness and would dream of for years to come. They didn't move from their spot for at least fifteen minutes. When they were finally able to get up without hurting or embarrassing themselves, they each ran home to get ready for their night out.

Though it was dinner and a movie, their night would be kinda like a group date without the date part, but the point was they were going out with hot girls so it would definitely be a good night. Showered and dressed in their best, which sadly for all three was nothing more than jeans, t-shirts and sneakers, they sat around his tiny room, waiting for the girls to show up.

Of course they heard the moment the car pulled up to his house, but rather than run out like dorks, though it was what they wanted to do, they walked out to the living room. Izz had offered to drop off his dad some dinner before leaving so Jake and they guys knew she would be coming in the house. His dad was opening the door when Jake walked into the living room.

Ally was the first to enter the house. She looked very pretty and girly with black a staples black top, a black and white short skirt with red flowers that matched her hair and black platforms. Jake smiled in anticipation. He had never really seen Izz dressed up and girly, apart from the carnival where she wore boots and jeans, her outfits consisted of shorts, t-shirts and sneaker, always matching of course and completely adorable, but not very dressy.

Then she walked in, instantly filling the house with the sweet smell of honeysuckle and taking his breath away. She was wearing a blue spaghetti strapped ruffled top, teal colored dressy short shorts, and her never ending tanned legs accentuated by strappy wedge flowery sandals that matched both colors of blue she was wearing, as did her jewelry. Her chestnut hair, which she usually straightened, was loose and ended in soft curls. And her makeup which was usually soft or nonexistent was perfect, making it obvious why Manny called her 'kitty'. Her eyes were mesmerizing and exotic, like a cat's.

"**My studs ready to go?" **Ally smiled, interlocking arms with Quil and Embry.

Izzy gave his had a hug and a kiss, sat his dinner, which she cooked herself, in the microwave and finally walked up to him with that beautiful smile of hers and took his hand.

_Oh yeah! Its gonna be a great night!_

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out Izzy's new friends and other story pics at **PHOTOBUCKET **and search **DESTINYSTORY** under **PEOPLE**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYSTYLE . BLOGSPOT . **


	10. Chapter 10

Izzy had always given nicknames to the people she cared about. After that afternoon, Ally was included in that small group; therefore she would no longer be Ally, she'd be Lala. Of course it was a nickname Lala claimed only Izzy would have the privilege to use. Izzy reminded her that was only till the guys heard it, something Lala was ok with cause she claimed it would be her LaPush name. From that moment on, Ally was no more, in came Lala.

Mark's car might've been bigger than their brother's, but it still wasn't made to fit three guys over six feet tall. With Izzy driving, and Jake riding shotgun, Lala was sandwiched in the back between Quil and Embry. She was practically sitting on top of them, a leg on each of theirs but Izzy was sure they didn't mind in the least.

The 2 hour ride over went by pretty fast. When they weren't dancing and belting out songs at the top of their lungs, Izzy and Lala were discussing The Vampire Diaries, a series they were reading, and debated which vampire was hotter, Stephan or Damon Salvatore. Lala argued Stephan being compassionate and caring made him the better choice, while Izzy was imminent Damon was not only physically hotter but was a bad boy with a good heart deep down. She also laughed pointing out no girl could resist a bad boy, the one thing Lala agreed on. They guys found their discussion funny and amusing, they thought the girls were crazy.

Restaurants began to be discussed as they reached city limits. They guys quickly suggested the places they usually hit, which of course consisted of burger and pizza joints, but the girls weren't having any of that and insisted they wanted 'food, food'. With a few calls they were in a fancy Mexican restaurant within minutes.

The restaurant was authentically Mexican, most waiters spoke only Spanish, or broken English, and the décor and setting was pretty fancy. By the looks of things, they guys had never been in such a place. Since everyone was equally clueless in Spanish, Izzy had to take over. They were given a large both, were they sat, Jake on one end, Izzy, Embry, Lala, and Quil on the other end. Izzy asked the waiter what the house specialty was, the nacho supreme was the 'it' appetizer and the house best was the fajita platter. For an appetizer she ordered a double order of nachos, 3 non-alcoholic beers for the guys and strawberry margaritas for the girls. The group stared and smiled as they guy took off without handing them menus.

A couple of minutes later, same waiter showed up with the goods. He cleared the table and placed the enormous helping of nachos in the middle of the table, which of course unlike the chips and cheese you get at the movies, these nachos were handmade chips, different types of cheeses, grilled steak, beans, sour cream, guacamole and spices, it looked delicious. He handed the margaritas to the girls and gave a beer to each guy. Izz began to sip on her drink but the rest stared at her. She laughed.

"**Non-alcoholic"** she stated **"I'm not **_**that**_** slick"**

"**Margarita?" **Lala asked, licking the end of the umbrella

"**Totally yummy"** Izzy nodded **"I would've gotten you guys some too**" she smiled at the guys **"But I know it's the guy thing to do to have a beer with nachos, so there you go. D says this brand of non-alcoholic taste just like the real thing"**

Jake had mentioned Billy was not like most dads, he was pretty cool and trusted Jake a lot more than most dads usually did. He didn't mind the guys having a beer or two while watching a ball game or having a steak, of course that was when Charlie wasn't around, family or not he was still a cop. Izzy had brothers and knew the only thing that hit the spot for them with nachos was a beer, they guys agreed.

With nachos and drinks gone, they had a few minutes to talk before the main course arrived. They asked each other about school.

"**So you guys have the same friends at school?"** Jake casually asked Lala, or so it seemed** "Like Chris?"**

"**Yeah" **Lala smiled **"We hang out with the same crowd. Chris is a cool friend"**

Izzy smiled noticing Lala didn't mention he was Chase (her boyfriend)'s best friend.

"**So you have more girlfriends?"** Quil beamed with excitement

"**Sorry to disappoint"** Izzy shook her head **"Lala and I are the only girls in the crowd"**

"**Except for Mandy"** Lala pointed out **"But she only hangs out **_**sometimes**_**"**

"**Yeah and she only talks to Mark" **Izzy laughed

"**So you really are more comfortable with guys, ha?"** Embry smiled at Izzy

"**Always have been" **Izzy gave him a cheesy smile

"**That's cause girls are jealous of her"** Lala rolled her eyes** "She attracts all the hotties at school"**

"**Is that right?" **Jake cocked his brow

"**Two new hotties in school are her brothers"** Lala stated** "Two all time hotties in junior class are cool friends with her, one of them being Chris, who drools over her" **Izzy felt Jake's body stiffen and deep inside she wanted to smile. _Is he jealous?_ **"Senior boys are making moves"** Lala smiled and Izzy rolled her eyes remembering the Mike incident **"And the two most coveted hotties in school, the Cullens, have silent jokes going on with her" **

Jake stared at Izzy, who shook her head, trying to get him to dismiss the info Lala had just given him. Luckily the waiters showed up with all the food. The table was cleared then filled with bowls of rice, beans, salsa, guacamole and sour cream, stacks of tortillas and an enormous hot plate filled with steaming fajitas, a third chicken, a third steak and a third shrimp.

They chatted while stuffing their faces, talking about anything other than guys from school, and discussed the different movie choices. Girls wanted to see Sky High but the guys weren't having it, the guys wanted to see Transporter 2, but the girls said that was a no go, so finally they agreed on Four Brothers.

They had dessert, an awesome tres leches cake, and cup of coffee, which given Izzy's low tolerance for caffeine was not a bright idea. Too full and hardly able to move, they were finally done with dinner. Lala and they guys insisted on splitting the bill, but Izzy slipped the waiter her debit card while they were doing the math. By the time they realized what she'd done it was too late to do anything about it.

As they walked out, Jake took her hand, interlocking their fingers, which took Izzy by surprise. Holding hands was not uncommon for them, they did it all the time, _when they were alone_, it was however the first time they did it in public. Lala and the guys were nice enough to pretend they didn't notice. They were at the door when Izzy remembered she hadn't tipped the waiter.

"**I'll be right back"** she said before running in.

She left a ten dollar bill on the table and ran back out. Lala had walked ahead with Quil and Embry but Jake was waiting for her a few steps from the door. He gave her one of his patented melt your heart smiles and held out his hand to her as she walked out. She smiled back and was about to take his hand when it happened.

"**Well look who's here!"** boomed behind her **"Never thought I would bump into my girlfriend tonight"**

Izzy turned to see Chris with the hugest smile from ear to ear. If looks could kill, Jake's would've struck Chris dead at that moment. From the way his body tensed and his fist clenched, Izzy was afraid it wouldn't be a look killing Chris. She had to act fast. She did the only thing she could think of.

"**Hey Chris"** Izzy smiled, while walking to Jake.

Izzy took Jake's hand but being a guy, and a territorial one at that, Jake wrapped his arm around Izzy's waist, pulling her against his body while giving Chris a triumphant look of gloat.

"**Oh! My bad**" Chris smiled eying Jake **"Didn't know you were on a date. I'm sorry"** he apologized though it was obvious he wasn't **"Wouldn't let Mike see you though**" he laughed **"He's gonna think you're a cheater"**

"**Like I care" **Izzy chuckled** "But I'm not the one who said you were my boyfriend. That was you"**

"**And it was funny as hell" **Lala smiled as she showed up with Quil and Embry **"But Izz never confirmed it. And it's not like anyone cares what Mike Newton thinks"**

"**Of course her partner in crime would be here too"** Chris smiled **"Sup, Ally"**

Lala smiled. Quil and Embry looked confused but one look at Jake was enough for them to be on the defensive as well.

"**Did you introduce?"** Lala asked Izzy, who shook her head.

"**Guys this is Chris, Chris this is Jake, Quil and Embry"**

Of course, the greeting between the guys was nothing more than hesitant head nods.

"**We're gonna be late for the movie"** Lala stated **"We should get going"**

Izzy nodded with a smile and began to pull Jake away **"See you Monday, Chris"**

"**For sure"** Chris smiled in a way Izzy had to give him a 'stop it' look.

Jake didn't say anything but he wrapped both his arms around Izzy and rested his chin on her shoulder as they walked away like they were a loving couple. _Sweet!_

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Jake had never had such feelings before. Chris brought out emotions in him that he couldn't explain. It wasn't even anger, it was possession, possession over Izz. Even with all the feeling he had for Bells, and all the anger and hatred he had for Edward, seeing them together pissed him off, but there was no possession involved. He might not want to admit it, but everything inside him claimed Izz as his. _Then why can't you commit already?_

They walked away, his arms wrapped around her, like he wanted to make sure no one took her away, rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered **"Boyfriend, ha?"**

Izzy laughed softly. **"Mike hit on me, Lala told him I was taken, Mike asked by who, Chris showed up and said by me, Mike ran off, end of story"**

"**Hmm" **he smirked** "Let's see what we can about making Chris runoff"**

Izz smiled him a bit surprised. He smiled though he didn't look at her, she shook her head.

There was a slight moment when they thought there was an issue at the movies. Four Brothers, the movie they had agreed on, was rated R and none of them where old enough to buy the tickets.

"**Aw, man! We're gonna have to pick another movie"** Embry stated

"**Why?"** Jake, Izz and Lala (Ally, who Izz insisted was not to be called that anymore) chorused

"**Movie's rated R"** Quil answered

Jake nodded but Izz and Lala gave them a 'so?' look

"**Unless one of you has a fake id**" Jake laughed **"We can't buy tickets"**

Izz and Lala turned to the booth where a short skinny kid in his early teens stood.

"**It's a guy at the booth"** Lala shrugged.

Izz nodded and the guys looked at them without a clue as to what they were talking about. The girls laughed and rolled their eyes, finding their ignorance amusing.

"**We'll get the tickets"** Izz smiled

They guys were shooed away to stand away from view while the girls went to work on the poor unsuspected ticket vendor. The kid didn't stand a chance. With a few smiles and hair flips, they had the poor kid drooling and handing out tickets like they were candy. Tickets in hand, the girls gave the guy and flirtatious smile and little wink and walked away. Kid almost passed out. Jake, Quil and Embry shook their heads in amusement as the girls walked up, fanning themselves with the tickets, smile from ear to ear.

Once inside, the group sat in the same order they had at the restaurant, Jake, Izz, Embry, Lala then Quil. The movie was great, action for the guys, drama for the girls and plenty of funny moments for both. Jake and Izz held hands the entire show and though they didn't make out, he glanced at her plenty of times and was touched to see her crying at certain points. She might be a tough little cookie but deep down she was very sensitive. Lala wasn't far behind, even though she tried to hide it, her red eyes gave her away.

When it came time to go home, Izz said that anyone who valued their live should never, EVER, allow Lala to drive, which oddly enough the girl just laughed and didn't bother to deny it. Embry was the only other person with a license, without a word, Izz tossed the keys his way. Since it was obvious he had no play with Lala and they were just gonna be friends, Quil insisted on riding shotgun. He was pissed when Izz and Lala had Jake rest his legs on top of theirs so he wouldn't be scrunched up in the back. _Sucker!_

Between songs, dances and vampire hotness discussions, someone came up with the bright idea of going to first beach and waiting for sunrise. Izz made a quick stop at her house, where the girls changed into warm clothes and told Mary what they were doing. It surprised the guys that Izz told her mom what they were really up to, but it surprised them even more that Mary was ok with her daughter spending the night at the beach with three guys. It was obvious there was a lot of trust in that relationship, which in a way was a lot like the relationship he had with his dad.

The plan was to drop off the car at Jake's house and walk to first beach, which was only a few blocks away from there. That plan was ruined when they arrived and found Quil Sr. waiting for not only Quil but Embry as well. Quil Sr. just happened to be hanging out with Billy and time got away from them, time in which Embry's mom called. Apparently his curfew was midnight and it was well past that. The look on Quil and Embry's faces as they were dragged away was hilarious.

"**And then there was three"** Lala laughed.

Jake's dad didn't have a problem with them hanging out to wait for sunrise, but didn't like the idea of them doing so at first beach. Once again plans were changed and they ended up hanging out in Jake's room till dawn, playing 'would you rather' and talking about everything and anything. At dawn, as his dad headed out to fish with Charlie and Harry, Jake, Izz and Lala climbed to the roof and watched the night turn into day.

It's always raining in LaPush; it wasn't a shocker that it would rain while they were in the roof. All three of them ended up soaking wet. It was too early for the girls to head home and they couldn't hang out wet so Jake lent them the only two clean t-shirts he had left, which fit them like dresses, and tossed their wet clothes in the drier, along with a load of laundry cause Billy hadn't done the laundry and the only clothes Jake had left were a pair of basketball shorts, which was the only thing he was wearing.

Even though his dad was not around and wouldn't be for the rest of the day, the girls weren't comfortable walking around the house half-naked, as they called it. With cups of hot cocoa and a box of Hostess powdered donuts, they headed to Jake's room and got comfortable, as much as they could in his small bed. After a quick breakfast, they got cozy to watch a movie. About halfway though 'American History X' the buzzer to the dryer went off but the girls didn't wanna move till the movie was over.

Lala was a cool buddy, she had a boyfriend and was Izz's girl, there was nothing going on between them, reason why she was comfortable with Jake and he with her. The three of them were huddled on the bed, making sure they fit and the blanket covered them. Jake was in the middle, an arm around each girl, relaxed in a friendly way around Lala, and comfy around Izz, his head on hers.

It was precisely in that position that they were found in when Quil and Embry walked announced into his house and barged into his room without knocking. The girls jumped a bit and got closer to Jake, which made the guy's reaction even funnier, the look on their faces was priceless. Embry stood speechless, mouth as wide as his eyes. Quil on the other hand went from shock to indignation.

"**Nah man!"** he said throwing his arms in the air **"Nah man, no!"**

"**What the hell!" **Jake growled **"You don't just walk in on someone"**

"**Yeah, man"** Lala added **"Private moment here"**

"**Why do you look like that?"** Quil asked eyeing Jake had no shirt on and the girls were wearing his.

"**It's called puberty, Quil"** Izz smiled

"**Did someone sleep through sex ed.?"** Lala teased** "In a nutshell, bodies change…"**

"**You know what I mean?" **he argued frantically

Jake laughed as the girls had a laugh at Quil's expense. Embry was still in state of shock.

"**I think it's time to get our clothes"** Izz said tossing the blanket aside.

Quil nearly had a heart attack when he got a better view of what was going on under the covers.

"**You didn't?"** Quil narrowed his gaze** "Nah, you couldn't have"**

"**Couldn't what, dumbass?"** Jake snapped

"**Hey!"** Izz smirked **"What happens between the sheets **_**stays**_** between the sheets"**

Quil mumbled on and on about something and Embry continued in shock, as the girls got off the bed.

"**You're gonna go?" **Jake asked Izz

"**We're gonna get dressed first"** Lala laughed** "But yeah, we should get going"**

"**Yeah" **Izz nodded **"I gotta get home before Ma goes off to work"**

Izz and Lala shared a look that said a lot of things and they smiled.

"**I'll be coming around"** Lala smiled as she hugged Jake **"Cause we're definitely doing this again"**

**"For sure" **Jake answered **"Last night was cool"**

"**Oh last night was **_**awesome**_**" **Izz smiled she kissed Jake's cheek.

"**It was **_**incredible**_**"** Lala added with a devious smile

"**I didn't know it was that good"** Jake chuckled

"**You have no idea how good it was"** Lala bit her lip

"**Best **_**I**_** ever had"** Izz wiggled her brows

"_**We **_**ever had"** Lala added with her little smile

"**I'm glad it was"** Jake answered a bit confused.

"**Life is so unfair!"** Quil growled as he stormed out of the house yelling a lot more things they couldn't make out.

Embry tried to do his best at a smile but ended up looking like he had to sneeze, then turned around and stumbled off after Quil. Izz and Lala burst out in uncontrollable laughter and Jake couldn't be more confused. _These g__irls are so crazy!_


	11. Chapter 11

Jake didn't like hanging around Forks. His trips usually consisted of ballgames at Charlie's or movie nights at Izz's. Though it was getting colder, Izz, her brothers, and for the past few weeks, Lala, found more things to do in LaPush, like surfing, cliffdiving, whale watching or just hanging at the garage or having a bonfire at the beach, so they usually made the drive over. Though it was a schoolday in Forks, school at the rez was closed due to teacher conferences and Jake was heading to Dowling's for a part for the Rabbit. Since it had been Bella's birthday a few days back, he would also be seeing Bella and giving her a little something.

He wasn't kidding about the small. Buying parts for the car was sucking him dry of the small savings he had, though Izz numerous times showed up with parts he had mentioned needing. As a matter of fact, he had begun to make sure not to bring up that subject anymore. The girl was smart though, and a damn fast learner, she was building that car just as much as he was and knew a lot more than he ever expected her to.

Harry had offered him a ride, but since his truck wouldn't start right away, they ran a little late. Jake's plan was to stop at Bella's house before she left but ended up having to look for her at school. He caught her right before she went into class, of course pretty boy Cullen was with her. The animosity was mutual between him and Edward, so it did surprise Jake that it was precisely him who stopped Bella and told her of his arrival.

"**Jacob!"** Bella smiled as he walked up to her **"What?"**

"**I'll leave you to talk" **Edward said, taking a few steps away

"**Hello, biceps!"** Bella laughed **"You know, anabolic steroids are really bad for you"**

"**Well, I'm just filling out, Bella" **he smiled** "You know, it wouldn't seem so drastic if we hung out more"**

"**You should switch schools. You can come hang out with the palefaces"**

"**I'm alright" **he smirked **"I prefer the rez school's exclusivity. They let any old riffraff into this place"**

"**I see" **she smiled **"Then why are you slumming it?"**

As if on cue, the roar of Izz's bike filled the parking lot. Jake and Bella glanced over but Izz was not looking their way, probably intentionally.

"**I was just buying a part for the Rabbit"** he answered **"You should really come take a ride when it's done"**

"**I don't think that's the only reason, but ok" **Bella smiled causing Jake to blush a little **"Is it fast?" **Jake buried his brows in confusion causing Bella to laugh **"The Rabbit, Jake"**

"**Oh"** he laughed **"Um. It's decent"**

They both laughed.

"**I'm kidding"** she continued laughing.

"**Okay. Good"** he laughed as well **"Hey, happy belated birthday"** she didn't look too happy about that **"Your dad told my dad, so"**

"**Yeah, of course he did" **she nodded

He took out the dreamcatcher he'd bought for her out of his front pocket **"I saw this the other day and thought of you"** he said holding it out to her with a shy smile **"Catches bad dreams"**

"**That's kinda perfect"** she said taking it **"Um, thank you"**

"**No problem" **he smiled. It was then he noticed Edward was staring at them from one corner of the parking lot, and Lala from the other, giving Izz, who was still on her bike, a play by play **"Good seeing you"**

"**Yeah, I'll see you later" **Bella said giving him a hug **"Bye"** they both chorused.

Bella walked over to Edward as Jake did to Izz and Lala. Izz was facing away from him, but Lala wasn't and smiled at him as he approached, he smiled back, especially when he noticed her purple plaid jeans and jacket looking t-shirt that matched them.

"**Hey there, Lala"** he smiled

"**Hi, Jakey"** she smiled

"**Hello, beautiful"** he said hugging Izz, who was still mounted on the bike.

"**Hey"** she answered flatly **"Busy morning?"**

He sighed with a smile **"Not really"**

"**Looked like it from here"** Lala whispered as she pretended to look up at the trees.

"**It was Bella's 18****th**** birthday on Tuesday and I got her a little something" **he found himself explaining** "Just came to drop it off"**

"**A dreamcatcher"** Lala pointed out **"As a friend, right?"**

"**Yeah" **Jake smiled

**"Then I'll be expecting my dreamcatcher in December?"** Lala smirked

"**I'll get you something better"**

"**Sweet!"** she smiled

It was impossible not to notice Izz's silence. At first Jake thought it was due to seeing him with Bella but there was more to it than that. Her usually bright and beautiful eyes were dimmed, a little puffy and pink.

"**Are you ok?"** he asked a bit worried. He'd never seen her like that and he didn't like it.

"**Mmm hmm"** she nodded.

Jake turned to Lala who glanced at Izz to make sure she wasn't looking and shook her head quickly. _Something is wrong! _He knew Izz would tell him about it whenever she was ready so he figured the best thing to do meantime was distract her. She was wearing black doc marten maryjanes, blue jeans, black tank top and over it a black men's shirt a couple of sizes too big for her.

"**Nice shirt"** he chuckled

"**It's D's"** she answered almost in a whisper **"I always wear it on his birthday"** she added sadly **"I know it's stupid but it kinda makes me feel like …"**

"**Like he's close to you" **

"**Exactly"** she sighed

He was about to try comforting her when she jerked her head at Lala, alerting her to look back. Coming towards them was Chris, the turd they'd ran into in Port Angeles, and tall blonde that by the way Lala had described, appeared to be Chase. The loving smile he received confirmed he was indeed her boyfriend Chase.

"**Umm?"** Lala buried her brows, looking back and forth.

"**Go ahead"** Izz half-smiled, or tried to

"**So he walks you to class?"** Jake asked. He didn't mention who but she knew.

"**Usually"** Izz shrugged** "We have 1****st**** period together and he's my lab partner"**

"**Hmm"** he cocked his brow. _I can't stand this asshole!_

Lala grabbed her bag off Izz's handle bar and smiled** "See you guys later"**

"**Can you do me a favor, Lala?" **Jake asked causing her to stop and look back **"Can you tell….**_**everyone**_** that Izz didn't feel too good and went home"**

"**What are you talking about?" **Izz asked

"**Sure" **Lala smiled widely, winking at him before she ran off.

Izz cocked her brow and stared and Jake, waiting for an explanation **"I gotta run some errands and it would help to have my assistant" **he smiled **"And you look like you need some cheering up"** he added gently tracing the pink lines under her eyes with his thumb **"Let's get outta here"**

She sighed deeply and the corner of her mouth lifted in a small smile **"Alright. But you drive"** she said scooting back to give him room. He was unsure of what to do for a moment, she smiled **"If we get caught, we tell Charlie I got sick and you're taking me home"**

"**Ah, what the hell"** he smiled.

The turd was still standing a few feet away, watching them, trying to hide how pissed he was. Jake couldn't help but smile as he mounted Izzy's bike. With her arms tightly wrapped around him, he revved the bike and took off.

He never asked but it was obvious Izz was not in the mood to go shopping for auto parts, they went straight to his house instead. As usual his dad was somewhere around but not home. Suddenly he realized she might get in trouble for ditching school.

"**Will your mom get mad?" **he asked while getting off the bike.

"**No"** she said while taking the helmet off **"She actually wanted me to stay home but I wasn't in the mood to be alone"**

Her words bothered him. He turned to her completely serious **"And you didn't you call me, why?"**

"**I didn't wanna ruin your day too" **she said while getting off the bike.

"**Hey!"** he said grabbing her hand, stopping her from walking any further and pulled her to him **"You know I'm always here for you, right?" **she nodded as he placed a strand of hair behind her ear **"Not just for the good times"**

"**But I believe I was promised some cheering up" **she smiled.

They spent all morning watching old reruns of 80's and 90's sitcoms. Billy showed up around noon but since he probably thought Izz didn't have school either, he didn't say anything. He even cooked for them his world famous spaghetti, aka Ragu. They were just finishing watching the 'Back to the Future' trilogy and making plans for dinner when the call came through.

Charlie was frantic. Bella had left a note saying she was talking a walk with Edward up the path and would be back soon, but that had been hours ago and she was nowhere to be found. No one could get a hold of the Cullens either and since her truck was still home and so where all her belongings, he was afraid she had gotten lost in the woods, woods that had been recently plagued with wild animal attacks. He was quickly forming a search team and wanted them there if not to help at least for moral support.

Jake looked at Izzy's sad little pretty face and couldn't bring himself to leave her. But there was also that urge to run out and find Bella and take her home, safe and sound.

"**Go"** Izz said, picking up on his inner turmoil **"Charlie's family and he needs you**" Jake looked at her internally debating what to do** "Don't worry about me" **she assure **"I got Ma, my brothers,**_** Lala**_**"** she smiled **"Do what you gotta do"**

With Izz's bike in the back, and all loaded up in Billy's truck, they headed off to Forks.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Daniel's absence was felt every day, from his empty chair at the dining table to the vacant space in the garage that would be his apartment when he got back. Ma always said it was the price they had to pay to have a hero in the family, it was nice to hear and they were extremely proud of their brother for fighting for the freedom most took for granted, but it didn't help with the heartache.

Izz's relationships with her brothers were all very different. Andy was her little brother and she felt extremely protective of him. He was her confident and because there were never any judgments, they shared everything. Good, bad or indifferent, there was nothing she didn't know about him, and there was nothing he didn't know about her. In fact, he was the only one that knew exactly what was going on between her and Jake.

Mark was older but never played the big brother. Nothing ever bugged that kid and he was the go-to guy when she needed a good laugh. No matter how bad things seemed to be, together they always found something to laugh about; problem was he always had a girl attached to his side. To Mark, she was his personal Teen Cosmo, the one to go to when he had girl troubles and needed a translation of girl code and behavior. They weren't just brother and sister, they were buddies.

D was the big brother is every sense of the title. He was protective of all them, but especially Izzy. Ma was the queen of the house and to D, Izzy was the princess. He taught her to ride a bike, he taught her about cars and motorcycles, and he taught her how to fight and how to defend herself from jerks, which according to him where any guys that looked her way. Daniel was the only father figure Izzy ever had ever had which made him twice as special to her and made her miss him twice as much.

It wasn't often that his absence hit her so hard. It was usually in special occasions like birthdays or holidays that it was impossible to pretend everything was perfectly fine. Izzy was happy Jake was sweet enough to go out of his way to cheer her up. With him around it was very easy to forget her troubles and have a good time. That's why she loved hanging out in LaPush, Billy was hilarious, Quil was a riot, Embry was funny and sweet and Jake… well Jake was Jake.

The day had been one of the best she'd had in a while. Then the phone rang. It was probably childish, petty and self-centered, but Izzy couldn't help feeling hurt that Jake ran off and went to Bella's rescue. In her heart she knew it was the right thing to do, she knew it was what any good friend would do, but she couldn't help it. If it had been Quil, Embry, Lala or any other friend in Bella's position it wouldn't be an issue, she knew that, _but why does it hurt so bad?_

It was almost midnight when Jake called with an update. After catching up on the Bella drama, they said goodnight and planned to spend all Saturday at her house watching movies. Jake, Quil, Embry and Seth would join her, her brothers, Lala, Chase and Chris, which Jake was not happy about, but Mark had invited him. She got a second update when Jake called in the morning to ask what she wanted the guys to take for their movie day.

Of course Lala was the first to arrive and was itching for the download on the drama the whole town was talking about. She knew Jake was there and of course assumed Izzy would get the 411 from him.

"**What the hell happened?"** Lala asked eagerly **"Did she get lost, get hurt and couldn't make it back, or what?"**

He mouth was wide open when Izzy told her Bella had not only been dumped by Edward, but had been left alone in the woods while he split town with his family.

"**Wow"** Lala breathed **"I would've never seen that one coming"**

"**Apparently she spent the night crying and screaming" **Izzy informed** "And now she's in like comatose state, won't talk, won't eat and just stares into nothing"**

"**Damn!" **Lala scrunged her nose** "I would hate to be her"**

The arrival of others kept them from talking any further, but it surely wouldn't be the last time Bella was the topic of choice, especially when they went to school on Monday.

The day went _way _better than Izzy ever expected it to. Apart from the glances she and Jake received from Chris, when he thought no one was looking, and the deathly glares Jake threw in Chris's direction when he caught him, they pretty much ignored each other.

For the next couple of days things appeared to go back to normal. Kids at school whispered and gossiped quietly behind Bella's back while pretending not to notice she was in zombie mode, not that she would notice. Jake pretended he wasn't worried about Bella when he hung out with Izzy, Billy pretended not to be worried about Charlie, and Izzy pretended not to be hurt that Jake was thinking of someone else while he was with her. It was a few days of pretending before everyone got used to it.

Bella became nothing more than a lump on a lonely chair in the corner. Billy felt bad for Charlie and what he was going through with Bella's depression, but went on spending time with Harry and Quil Sr. Jake and Izzy went back to their usual routine, school, garage, homework, dinner, some awesome goodbyes and on weekends, goofing off with the entire group, which many times not only included Lala, but Chase as well.

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Life went on.

… ***** …

**October**

… ***** …

**November**

… ***** …

**December**

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Check out Izzy's new friends and other story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	12. Chapter 12

Before they knew it, Christmas break had come and gone. If they hadn't been best friends by then, they sure were when it was over. With Chase spending the two weeks in New York with his family, Lala kept herself from missing him too badly by spending hers with the group of weirdos that had become more like a family than friends. Izzy, Lala, Mark, Andy, Seth, Jake, Quil and Embry spent two weeks creating havoc from Forks to LaPush.

Each one spent Christmas with his or her family but they threw an awesome party for New Year's Eve, which happened to be Lala's birthday. They went all out, food, cake, music, dancing, streamers, sparkling cider and all. Lala was a little bummed she didn't get the new car she was expecting from her parents _thank god! _but quickly forgot about it with the gifts she got from the rest, including Jake, who kept his word and got her something better than a dreamcatcher, cute little turquoise earrings that matched her eyes.

Exactly 2 weeks later was Jake's 16th birthday, which of course was something to celebrate. January 14th fell on a Saturday so the gang, Chase included, had a huge bbq at the Black's, where they ate like they'd been starved for a week and then danced the night away to groovy hits from the late 70's when Billy was 16. Everyone had a great time.

Izzy skipped school that Monday and went to the DMW with Jake and Billy. Jake's license was premiered with his first drive to Olympia for a little birthday shopping at the Westfield Mall. Jake had grown up so much in the 5 months Izzy had known him. He claimed to be 6'5 though he was a lot closer to 6'6; his rock hard body had filled a little giving his muscles more definition and tone. His face was still sweet though his cute chubby cheeks had been replaced by sharp cheekbones that defined his face down to his now squared chin, making that cute little dimple of his more prominent. His voice had gotten a tad deeper though still husky. He'd always been gorgeous to Izzy but anyone taking a look at him now would see not a cute teenager, but a very sexy young man. Young man that had outgrown all of his clothes.

Billy and Izzy joined forces and got Jake several pairs of jeans, about a dozen t-shirts and the sneakers he'd been raving about. But that wasn't all; Izzy wanted to give him something that was only from her. One of their many stops that day was at Westfield Jewelers.

Izzy worked on Jake's birthday present for months. Initially the idea was to get him a friendship bracelet, but she didn't want any old thing, she wanted it special and one of a kind. In came Quil, who took her to his grandma, who specialized in Quileute bracelets. It took them about a week to come up with the design, then a couple of weeks to wait for the silver from the jewelers, the black silk from China and the special ordered micro thin leather from Italy. With all the materials in hand, it took Old Mrs. Ateara almost a month to do it but she proved to be a remarkably gifted artist, the bracelet turned out amazingly perfect, virtually indestructible for a man's daily wear and tear yet looking elegant and somehow delicate. Mrs. Ateara made the leather ties long enough to go around Izzy's thigh but the clasp chosen was specially made to wind up the extra material, allowing the wearer to make it as long or short as desired.

About a week before his birthday, Izzy shipped the bracelet to the jewelers in Olympia where **J+I **was engraved on the silver clasp. Jake was beyond surprised when they picked it up and was touched by the gesture. He loved it and Izzy couldn't be happier when he asked her to put it on him immediately and swore never to take it off. A week later he was still rocking it on his left wrist.

It was just around that time that Bella Swan became the biggest news in school once again. Apparently she had chosen that weekend to come out of the zombie mode stage of her depression. When Izzy returned to school on Tuesday, she found that instead of taking her usual lonely and silent seat at the lunch table known as the 'Cullen' table, Bella was sitting at the senior table alongside Jessica, Angela, Mike, Tyler, Eric and Lauren, who was not happy about it in the least. Jessica wasn't a happy camper either since Mike Newton had made it his mission to become the rebound. Izzy and Lala were fed up with Bella Swan drama and apart from a glace to their neighboring table, the subject was never acknowledged.

… ***** …

Their table hade more important issues going on. Chase was absent _again_ and apart from a text saying he was going outta town for the weekend, nobody knew the reason for his ever growing no-shows and weekend trips for the past month. When anyone asked, he became flustered and always found a way to run or change the subject. Lala and Chris were worried and the fact that Chase couldn't trust his girlfriend or his best friend, worried Izzy. They all hoped everything was ok and that he would come clean to them soon.

Chase missing school left Lala without a ride home. Chris had gotten a 2003 Honda Civic SI for Christmas, which he spent every spare moment tweaking, so she could've gotten a ride from him, and there was also Mark, but Lala loved riding Izzy's bike and took every chance she got. Izzy became Lala's favorite default ride home. She'd been taking her home enough times for Jake to expect the late arrival which meant she didn't bother texting him anymore.

Mrs. O'Brien worked late on Fridays, which meant Lala had to go home and watch her little brother instead of heading to LaPush with Izzy. After dropping her off, Izzy b-lined it to Jake's house without bothering to stop and change clothes.

As usual Izzy ran in and gave Billy his hug and kiss on the cheek. He was on the phone and seemed a little startled when she ran in, odd since she'd done the same thing for months. He still smiled and hugged her back but seemed a little off, she figured it must've been due to the conversation he was having and left it at that. She was the one startled when rather than wait at the garage for her as he usually did; Jake ran up and met her steps from the front door. Though he hugged her, pulling her off the floor as he usually did, his usually heart-stopping smile was a little off too. _Maybe he's fighting with Billy_. Usually they shared a kiss but given that Billy was probably looking at them through the window, she wasn't surprised when Jake kissed her cheek, she did the same.

"**How was school?" **he asked, taking her hand and walking over to her bike where he sat on._Weird!_

"**Same ol, same ol"** she shrugged** "I had to take Lala home again"**

"**Chase was m.i.a. again?" **he buried his brows like it concerned him, then again Chase had become a good friend.

"**Yeah"** she pouted **"He misses school **_**at least**_** twice a week, and then takes off on the weekend. Lala's worried but he don't wanna talk about it, changes the subject everytime"**

"**Maybe it's a family thing" **he suggested** "You know when stuff like that happens it's hard to talk about, especially for guys"**

"**Well whatever it is, I hope he figures out that we're all there for him, you know? He don't have to go through it alone"**

"**Yeah, I hope so"** he nodded

Jake was serious, his eyebrows buried and was practically biting his lower lip off as he looked around at the floor. Izzy had seen her brothers do that enough times to know the look well; he was trying to say something but couldn't figure out how to do so.

"**Are you and Billy fighting?"**

"**What?"** he snapped his head up **"Why?"**

Izzy was about to explain her assumption when she was interrupted by the last person she ever imagined, Bella Swan.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Never in a million years did Jake ever think Bella would show up at his house that afternoon, and looking for him. Of course she was looking for her friend, her mechanic friend at that, one that could help her rebuilt the death machines she'd hauled from someone's curb. He'd been so happy to see her and so excited about taking on the project with her that he forgot all about Izz for a moment. She never crossed his mind as he agreed to spend all his free time with Bella, fixing the bikes and teaching her how to ride. Izz came to him like a punch to his stomach the moment her heard the roar of her bike coming up the road.

Jake felt like ripping his hair out. He was a complete asshole. He'd completely erased Izz from his schedule without even talking to her first. There she was, beautiful as ever, her lovely smile that had been brightening his days for months and yet he had Bella was in the garage waiting for him. _How do I tell her?_ He made small talk, unable to bring himself to tell her. He had feeling for Izz, he couldn't deny that, they'd been inseparable practically from the moment they met and he'd been having the time of his life, but Bella meant something special to him, no matter what anyone else said.

Izz hung around boys far too much and could read them like books, it didn't surprise him that she knew something was up, it did startle him she assumed he'd had a fight with his dad, which only meant his dad must've acted weird when she arrived. She opened her mouth and was about to say something when they were interrupted.

"**Jake!"** Bella yelled as she rounded the house **"What's taking you so…" **she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Izz and her smile quickly faded **"long"** she whispered.

_She's gonna kill me!_ He'd taken too long to explain and the shit hit the shot up from Izz's bike like it was on fire **"I'll be right there"** he told Bella, who nodded and practically ran back to the garage.

Pain flashed through Izz's pretty little face before it was replaced by indifference. _I deserve it._

"**Hmm"** she smirked** "So that's why you and your dad were acting so weird" **it was obvious she was pissed but all she did was shake her head **"What? Is your phone not working? You could've texted me and told me not to come, you know?"**

"**I didn't know she was coming" **he answered apologetically, which was true, he'd just forgotten to call, but no way in hell he'd mention that part** "She showed up a couple of minutes ago and I wasn't gonna tell her to go away"**

"**It's alright" **she sighed** "Call me up later" **she smiled** "We can make plans for tomorrow"**

"**Umm…." **_Crap!_

"**What is it, Jake?" **she asked. The smile quickly turned into annoyance **"Just say it already!"**

"**I promised to help Bella fix up some bikes and teach her how to ride, so…"**

"**So you'll be spending all you free time with her"** she finished for him **"Ok. I got it'" **she nodded** "Well…."**she half-smiled** "It was nice hanging with you these last couple of months, had a great time and I guess I'll be seeing you around"**

It would've been better if she'd hit him. Her words hurt like hell. Then again he was obviously hurting her just as much so he deserved it. He tried to take her hand but she smacked his hand away, and then pushed him out the way to grab her helmet of the handlebar.

"**Izz?"**

"**Save it"** she smiled, mounting the bike **"We had a deal. You don't owe me anything. No expectations, no disillusions, remember? "**

"**Stop it, Izz"**

"**They're waiting for you, Jacob" **that was a not punch but a kick, a kick in the juniors, she had never called him Jacob **"You should go" **she said placing her helmet **"Take care"**

And with the loudest rev he'd ever heard, she was gone. Every molecule in his body was telling him to go after her but he didn't, instead he headed back to the garage where Bella was and pretended everything was just fine, smiles and all.

"**Maybe I should just take the bikes to Dowling's**" Bella suggested **"I don't wanna cause you any trouble"**

"**There's no trouble" **he lied **"Besides, Dowling will cost you and arm and a leg **_**and**_** he won't do the job half as good as me"**

He needed to get his mind off Izz but it just wasn't gonna happen. He got to work on Bella's bikes right away, taking them apart. Of course that reminded him of the very first time Izz had showed up at his house. His mind wouldn't shut off and wouldn't stop comparing not matter how hard he tried. Bella sat on the passenger seat of the Rabbit, and he smiled thinking how Izz never cared about sitting on the muddy floor alongside Jake and most of the times Quil and Embry. Bella handed him tools when he asked, not by name but by look cause she didn't have the slightest clue, and he couldn't help picturing Izz, elbow deep in grease, working with him and handing him tools a second before he was gonna need them. He laughed and joked around with Bella but Izz never left his mind.

As they usually did, Quil and Embry made an appearance. It was hard not to notice they were startled to see a girl in the garage that wasn't Izz or Lala. Quil was Quil and instantly became all smiles and flirty looks as he introduced himself to Bella and made small talk. Embry was always shy, but for a change that was not the reason for his quietness. He was polite to Bella but seemed uncomfortable; apparently Jake wasn't the only one that felt like he was cheating on Izz.

'Where's Izz?' Embry worded while Quil distracted Bella.

'She left' Jake worded back.

Embry just shook his head, which only made Jake feel worse for choosing Bella over Izz. Embry made it obvious he wasn't gonna do the same when he abruptly stated **"I gotta go"** and walked off. Quil wasn't too happy to leave but followed Embry, stating he would be 'coming around'.

With the guys gone, he worked on the bikes a little more but then Bella had to go home and fix dinner for Charlie, but not before she worked out a schedule with him, schedule similar to the one he'd had with Izz. Of course there were some big differences, like Bella working afterschool, which meant fewer hours in the garage, and there wouldn't be any goodbye makeout sessions.

When Bella mentioned she had to work after school, he was actually glad; it would give him time to hang out with Izz. His plan was shot to hell when she said she would try to get out of it as much as possible. Hell would freeze over, twice, before Izz agreed to hang out with Jake if there was a possibility Bella would show up.

There was an eerie silence when he walked in the door. His dad studied him carefully as went in the bathroom to wash up and it annoyed him more that it should've. It was obvious he was trying to avoid the subject, which made it even more awkward since his dad was far too nosy to keep quiet. Just as he got to the hallway his dad burst.

"**Will Izzy be coming tomorrow?"**

Jake turned back and answered flatly **"I don't think Izz will ever come back here"**

He took two steps before his dad's question made his blood feel like ice **"And you're ok with that?"**

"**No" **he whispered before slamming his bedroom door.

Jake spent the entire night tossing and turning. He texted Izz and dialed her number a thousand times but always closed the phone before sending it, scared she would hang up or ignore him. The night was never-ending and his confusion didn't diminish.

He wasn't expecting Bella till noon so he figured he could make it to Izz's and back before that. As soon as the sun came up, he showered and headed to Forks. It was nearly eight o'clock when he rang Izz's doorbell. Mark opened the door in nothing but his boxers.

"**What's up, man"** he yawned **"Whatcha doing here?"**

"**Looking for your sister"**

"**She aint here" **he scratched his head **"They left like an hour ago" **Of course Izz would know he would look for her in the morning. And she'd left which meant she was still angry and didn't wanna talk to him._Wait a minute! They? They, who? _**"Chris told Ma they'd be back by dark. Call her then"**

Mark stumbled back inside, still have asleep and Jake couldn't move. Anger, jealousy, indignation, pain, everything rushed through him in a flash. She was with him. She shouldn't be with him. He needed to hit something, preferably Chris into a bloody pulp. He did the only thing he could do, run home and beat the crap outta every tree that stood in his way. Only one thing was running through his mind. _Izzy is mine!_

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Check out Jake's bracelet and other story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	13. Chapter 13

It seemed that from the moment Izz left his house, things would never be the same again. He looked for her the next morning; only to find out she was out with the punk Chris. She called him that night, but the conversation couldn't have been more awkward.

"**Hi"** he said a bit surprised after seeing her name on the screen.

"**Hey"** she answered flatly** "Mark said you came looking for me"**

"**Yeah" **he answered a bit upset, remembering why she hadn't been home **"Said you were out with Chris"**

"**Mmm hmm"**

"**Did you have fun?" **he asked, not capable of hiding his anger very well

"**What'd you want, Jacob?"**

She was cold and detached and it was understandable after what he'd done to her, but as far as Izz was concerned, he couldn't think straight. Then only thing he could reason was that _he _was the reason for her attitude, and it pissed him off.

"**Nothing"** he spat **"It doesn't matter anymore"**

"**Alright then" **

The line went dead. She hung up on him. That had been over a week ago. Since then, the only time he'd heard from Izz was when Seth brought her up in conversation, which was usually at school, since none of the guys had set foot in Jake's garage since the day Bella began to do so. Quil had only gone once again, but didn't stay long. Evidently Izz still talked to the guys, or at least Seth, and it was obvious Embry's loyalty to Izz was keeping him away from Bella, which in term, kept him away from Jake since he was spending all his time with her. Leah and Jake had never been friends per say, but due to her loyalty to Izz, everytime he bumped into her all he got was death glares.

Jake and Bella had made several deals. First was Jake would fix the bikes, Bella would finance the project, second, he would get one of the bikes as payment since he wouldn't take cash for his labor, third, he would teach Bella to ride and she would be his assistant on the Rabbit since the previous one had quit, and fourth and most important, Edward and Izzy would not be mentioned, at all.

They tried their best not break the important deal, refraining from doing or saying anything that would remind them of …._certain people_ in any way. They weren't always successful, and their pensive silence was always a dead giveaway that they'd failed. But most of the time they managed to get through the day without hurtful thoughts.

Hanging out with Bella was fun. She laughed and joked around with him, and sometimes seemed like her old self again, which Charlie loved. Since Bella was spending a lot of time at Jake's house, Charlie and his dad were also spending a lot of time together, having dinner at each other's house like every other day.

He could forget about Izz when he was with Bella, fill his time busying himself in the garage or hanging out doing homework or helping out with dinner, but nothing could keep her out of his mind when he was alone. Everything in his house reminded him of her. He couldn't look at his garage without imagining her sitting legs crossed on the muddy floor, handing him tools, her face lit with a lovely smile. So many times he'd snap his head around, imagining the roar of her bike making its way to his house. Everytime he walked into his kitchen, he remembered her sitting on the countertop, quizzing him on his Spanish as he cooked dinner. He would look at his living room and remember the countless times she'd ran in, no longer bothering to knock and giving his dad a big hug and kiss on the cheek, which he always returned with the same affection. Entering his room could not be done without him standing at the doorway and smiling, remembering the night Izz and Lala had spent there, and the many times Izz had laid belly down on his bed while they did homework. Hell, he couldn't even do homework without thinking of her since his books were covered with little notes she'd put in the margins to help him study. He missed her.

Nothing was making sense to him. He'd spent months dreaming about pretty-boy Cullen disappearing and having Bella to himself, and there it was, Edward was gone and he was hanging out with her 24/7 and yet he wasn't jumping for joy like he thought he would be. He knew why, his entire heart belong to Bella before, it didn't anymore, Izz had shown up and claimed half the moment she walked into his life. Jake was confused and uncertain of what that meant exactly. When he was with Izz, she made the whole world disappear, even Bella. But if he loved Izz more than Bella, then why did he run to her the moment she decided to give him the time of day? He couldn't say he loved Bella more than Izz either, if that were the case, he wouldn't be spending sleepless nights thinking of glorious jade eyes, sweet, pouty lips, soft chestnut locks and inhaling the sweet, inviting scent of honeysuckle that lingered in his pillow.

Jake had to figure out exactly what he wanted. It probably didn't matter to Izz either way since she was hanging out with Chris now, or to Bella since she had sworn off men since pretty-boy said goodbye and broke her heart, but for himself. He needed to know what he felt and what he wanted or he was gonna go mad, and very soon.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

_Life sucks!_ Jake didn't call, he didn't text, and he certainly didn't look for her anymore. Of course she didn't either, but Izzy had every reason not to, he had kicked her ass to the curve the moment the whiney-do-nothing Bella had snapped her fingers at him.

She had left his house like a bat outta hell, thinking her day couldn't get any worse, then she arrived at Lala's house and found out it could. Lala was crying her eyes out, heartbroken and miserable, Chase had finally come clean about all the no-shows and weekend trips, he'd been helping his mom find a house in New York. His dad's temporary placement had become permanent during Christmas break and they'd been flying back and forth, getting thing set up in NY before they made the big move, which was precisely that weekend.

Izzy listened and held Lala as she cried. And when she thought she was all cried out, Izzy told her all about the fight with Jake, and then it was Lala's turn to hold _her _while _she _cried. The tears were endless that night, which they spent crying their eyes out, eating ice cream and watching chick flicks that made them cry even more. It was their plan to spend the entire weekend the same way, but when Chris called and invited them to go Victoria, they realized Lala didn't wanna be in Forks to watch Chase leave, and Izzy didn't wanna be home when Jake showed up with lame apologies.

Apart from the short and cold conversation they'd had that night, when she called him to find out why he had looked for her, and in all honesty, when she called for an apology and a promise to not diss her completely over Bella, they hadn't spoken anymore. And since she'd forbidden the guys to name him in her presence, she hadn't heard from him either. She also refused to go to LaPush, and since they guys didn't have a ride to Forks, unless Mark went to pick them up, she wasn't hanging out with Quil or Embry. She did text them all the time though.

Her days had always consisted of hanging out with Jake, not doing so was so weird. At school Izzy and Lala pretended nothing was wrong, they talked and laughed as usual and would not allow themselves to be all whiney, moody and zombie-like over a boy like some had been. Their crying and wallowing was done when they were home alone. Chris knew what they were going through, thanks to her brothers, and was such a sweetheart, going outta his way to cheer them up, especially Izzy, who he constantly asked out, to 'hang', which she always dragged Lala along too. School was good for keeping her mind busy, only down to it was having to see Bella _every day_. It was a good thing Bella did her best to stay outta Izzy's way, probably cause she valued keeping her bones intact.

"**We have a dilemma"** Lala stated as she slammed her bag on the lunch table

"**Another one?" **Izzy laughed

"**Seriously!"** she complained **"The Valentine's Day dance is in less than two weeks and we don't have dates"**

"**Ok?"**

"**We have to go!" **she insisted **"And we can't show up stag like losers, and the only guys left **_**are**_** losers"**

"**You can go with Andy" **Izzy suggested **"He doesn't have a date yet"**

"**Actually, I do" **Andy said shyly as he walked up behind them

"**You do?"** Izzy and Lala chorused **"Who?"**

"**Wendy, from my math class"**

**"Cool" **Izzy smiled

"**Great!"** Lala groaned **"I got no one now"**

A light bulb went on in Izzy's head **"Hold that thought"** she said, pulling out her cell.

I need 2 ask 4 a favor *Iz*ee*

Ask away – SC

Can u take lala 2 the dance next week? *Iz*ee*

Seriously? – SC

Lol, yeah *Iz*ee*

Of course! – SC

Awesome! Luv u. Give u the deetz l8r *Iz*ee*

Kkz –SC

"**Problem solved"** Izzy smiled at Lala **"Seth's taking you"**

Lala's smile couldn't get any wider. She could joke around all she wanted about rocking the cradle and being a cougar and all that, but she definitely had a little crush on Seth.

"**Now we just gotta get someone for you"** she wiggled her brows

"**I'm good"** Izzy shook her head

"**I know your heart beats for just one**" Lala said, being careful not to name him **"But maybe a little jealousy might set him straight"**

"**And just who am I supposed to make him jealous with?"** Izzy smirked. Lala's smiled widened one again and her eyebrows wiggled away. Izzy caught on immediately **"Oh no!" **she shook her head, and then leaned in to Lala and whispered **"I am not getting Chris involved in this. He likes me and I'm not playing him by pretending to be interested. And there's no way I'm telling him to play along either"'**

Chris showed up just then, making it impossible for Izzy to let Lala know just how forbidden she was from talking to him about the situation. The rest of the day went on as usual, and since Lala didn't bring up the subject anymore, not even during phys ed, when they were asked to walk laps around the field, Izzy was sure she had nothing to worry about. When Lala said she didn't need a ride home cause she was going over to Marylou's house, to work on their science project, Izzy didn't think anything of it.

It was the first time since the fight with Jake that she didn't have Lala to hang with after school. As she walked to her bike, Izzy was thinking of ways to keep her mind busy, hanging with her brothers, practicing her kickboxing, chatting online with Ariel or other friends from San Diego, or maybe even calling up Quil and Embry.

"**I'm in"** Chris said, startling her as he leaned over her shoulder.

"**What?"** she breathed, holding her chest, which was barely holding in her heart.

"**I'm in"** he repeated with a smile. She buried her brows in confusion. **"Ally told me"**

_Imma kill her!_ Izzy's brows shot up as her eyes widened **"She is so dead!"**

Chris laughed **"This could work for both of us"**

"**And how is that?"** she cocked her brow.

"**I hang with you, we make big boy jealous"** he smiled **"You hang with me, and you might realize you have better options"** She laughed shaking her head **"How about we start by going to the dance together?"**

"**Ok"** she smiled **"That, I'll do"**

"**And we'll take it from there"** he winked.

"**We'll see"** she laughed.

Chris was giving a friend a ride home, which meant he had to leave, a good thing for Izzy, she might've ended up agreeing to something she would regret later. Just as she was gonna take off, he pulled up in front of her and yelled out the car window.

"**By the way"** he smiled **"The whole belly button showing thing" **he said pointing to his stomach, and then gave her thumbs up. She laughed.

Lunch had not been much to her liking, so when she got home, she was starving. Izzy walked into her house and headed straight to the kitchen. She had just tossed her bag and keys on the counter when for the second time in less than an hour; she nearly had a heart attack.

"**Hey there stranger"**

"**Embry!"** she said with enthusiasm, throwing her arms around his neck, which was higher than the last time she'd seem him **"You've grown" **

"**Shows how long it's been since you've seen me"** he joked.

Her lower back ended up bare as she raised her arms, and his arm felt like he'd been sitting in front of a fire for hours. She grabbed his hand when he put her down, and it was just as hot.

"**You have a fever"** she stated **"You ok?"**

"**I've been a little ugh lately" **he smiled **"But I'm good"**

"**I'm glad to see you here" **she smiled, pulling a stool for him to sit on.

"**I needed to talk to you" **he said as she pulled out stuff from the fridge to makesandwiches. She sighed as she sat across from the island from him. She thought he was gonna stand up for Jake and ask her to be patient again, she was ready to tell him patience could only last so long and oversee so many things. But it wasn't the case **"Just because you stopped talking to Jake doesn't mean we have to get the axe too" **hestated** "You have other friends in LaPush"**

She felt like such an ass. She'd been so preoccupied being upset over Jake dissing her that she never stopped to think that she was dissing too. By not going to LaPush, she had pushed aside Embry, Quil, and even Leah, who she hung out with whenever the guys got on her nerves. She did have other friends in LaPush and she wasn't gonna allow Jake or that little brat keep her from them.

Embry accepted her apology and was glad to hear she would no longer stay away. After all he was right, there was a lot more to LaPush than Jake, they could hang out at Embry's garage, fixing up his dirt bike, go cliffdiving, lounge around at the beach, or even get together with Leah, Seth, and her brothers to play football like they had before. After all, Jake spent all his time in his garage with Bella, or going to Port Angeles for body parts, it wasn't likely she ran into him. Lala would have no problem tagging along, and if Chris wanted to join them, there would be no problem with that either.

They talked and caught up on everything they'd been up to for the past week but Izzy couldn't help notice that Embry was looking worse by the minute. As if the fever, pale face, slight shaking that had gotten him nearly blurry by now and heavy breathing didn't raise red flags, the fact that he didn't finish his sandwich when he usually ate 3 or 4, did it. She placed her hand on his cheek to check his temperature and his skin was on fire.

"**Embry, you don't look good, hun. I should take you to the hospital and have Ma check you"**

"**No"** he shook his head **"I just don't feel right. I wanna go home"**

"**I'll take you home, but if your mom says hospital, we're taking you to the hospital"**

"**Ok"**

She grabbed the keys to D's car cause she doubted Embry was strong enough to stay on the bike. By the time they reached the garage, he looked like he was about to pass out. His arm nearly burned her lower back as she helped him along the way and he was shaking so bad, he made_ her _tremble. By the low moans escaping him, he was evidently in some sort of pain.

"**Forget your mom" **she stated** "I'm taking you directly to the hospital no matter what you say"**

"**We'll take him"**

Even though she'd only heard that voice once before, Izzy knew who it was when she turned around. And just like the last time, he and his two minions were half naked.

"**Yeah" **she mumbled** "That's not happening"**

"**We'll make sure he's ok"** Sam insisted as he and dumb and dumber got closer **"Trust me"**

_Trust?_ How can he possibly ask her to trust him when the only other time they'd seen each other, he tried telling her what to do, and the jerk Paul got grabby, supposedly trying to 'protect' her. And if that wasn't bad enough, all she'd heard from them was they were secretive and kinda shady but the tribe elders loved them. Jake had told her many stories but they all ended the same, they watched him a lot and he tried to stay as far away from the trio as possible. Trusting them was not an option.

"**I don't know you"** she spat **"Therefore I don't and can't trust you. I'm taking him to the hospital"**

"**It's better if we take him" **said the shorter of the three, not the jackass, Paul, if she remembered right, who had decided to jump with her from the cliff the last time they'd ran into each other.

"**My mom's a doctor"** she reasoned **"If I call her, she can see him as soon as we pull up at the hospital"**

"**I understand you wanna help him"** he said empathetically **"But we can do more than you can"**

"**More than a doctor?"**

She was so busy arguing with him, she hadn't noticed Sam and Paul were getting closer to Embry. By the time she turned around, Embry was being practically carried towards the woods behind her house.

"**We got you, Embry"** Sam was saying **"Everything's gonna be ok"**

"**Where the hell do you think you're taking him?"** she ran after them

"**Jared!" **Paul called

Jared, the shorter guy she had been arguing with, caught up to them in a flash, and took Paul's place in helping Sam with Embry. Next thing Izzy knew, Paul was toe to toe with her, looking down at her with a face that was meant to intimidate her.

"**Go away!"** he grunted.

No way in hell that was gonna work. She placed her hands on her hips, cocked her brow and tiptoed to get nose to nose with him **"Then you better make me cause I'm not leaving Embry!"**

"**That's it!" **he growled, throwing her over his bare shoulder, making her realize his skin was as hot as Embry's has gotten** "I'm just gonna knock her ass out!"**

"**Paul!" **Sam voice boomed in scolding

Izzy instantly began punching and kicking as she was carried deeper into the woods, but it only seemed amuse Paul and it was pissing her off further. When she looked over at Embry, he was looking directly at her and he was no longer trembling, he was way past that, Embry was nothing but a blur, a blur that was moaning and grunting.

"**Move away!" **Sam boomed

In a split second, Sam, Jared and Paul, with Izzy still dangling from his shoulder, were a good twenty feet away from Embry. Izzy was about to demand and explanation when Paul placed her down and wrapped his arms around her, covering her with his body. Not a moment later, she heard a loud explosion-like noise, a combination of fabric being ripped, hundreds of twigs and branches broken simultaneously and something else she'd never heard before.

Paul's grip was pure steel, she tried pushing him away but he didn't even feel it. The only option she had left was to stretch her neck as much as possible and peek from behind the massive bolder that was his body. Her heart instantly thumped a hundred miles a minute, her legs felt like putty and she couldn't even remember how to breathe. Embry was gone. The ripping noise had been his clothes, which were confetti on the floor, and the twigs and branches had been turned to splinters by the enormous wolf standing a few feet away from them. She looked at Paul's face and her eyes slowly lowered until they rested on the tattoo on his right bicep, same tattoo, Jared and Sam were sporting, wolves…_Oh….My…..God!_ …they were werewolves.

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs on Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	14. Chapter 14

She didn't realize the only thing holding her up was Paul until he let her go. _One hell of a moment he picks to let go!_ Izzy couldn't take her eyes off the enormous grey wolf with dark spots, and his eyes demonstrated he was far more freaked out that she could ever be, as impossible as that was to her at the moment. Though no one was saying anything, she knew that was no ordinary wolf, to begin with, on all fours it was taller than her, hell one of his hind legs was about as big as she was, and then there was the eyes, as ferocious and lethal as he looked, she could recognize those big, terrified eyes anywhere, they were Embry's. For a brief second it calmed her a bit to know that deadly animal was her friend, but then she thought about it some more. _That wolf is Embry!_ Sam was whispering something to him, though it was too low for her to hear what it was, it was obvious he was trying to calm him down. Without removing her eyes from them, she desperately moved her arm around, looking for something to hold onto while heart calmed and she wrapped her mind around what she'd just witnessed.

"**Jared"** she breathed though she meant it to be a cry **"Please don't let me hit the floor too hard"**

Paul's arm was instantly around her again "**Sorry" **he whispered as he sat her down and leaned her against a tree trunk.

"**Aw, man!" **Jared laughed** "Five bucks says she pukes"**

Sam turned and looked her over like he was trying to decide what state she was in **"I don't think so"** he shook his head **"She's probably gonna faint any minute though. Or start screaming"**

"**Nah, she's a tough one" **Paul smiled** "Five buck says she does neither"**

As freaked out as she was, she couldn't help being angry that they were talking about her like she wasn't there.

"_**She**_** can hear you!" **she spat** "And how dare you bet on me?"**

"**See what I mean?" **Paul laughed

"**Is this his first time?"** she asked

"**Yeah"** Jared nodded

_Poor Embry._ She could only imagine the things running through his mind. He was either going insane or trying to convince himself he was having a fever induced hallucination.

"**Help him"** she begged Sam

"**We will"** he nodded, and then buried his brows in concern **"But …" **he looked meaningfully at her.

"**I don't matter right now, he does!"**

Sam nodded** "Paul, take her to Emily's house"** he ordered **"Jared and I will go with Embry"**

"**Um, I'd rather Jared take me"** she said **"I trust him more"**

Paul cocked his eye at her, anger obvious, and Jared smiled from ear to ear. Sam couldn't hide his smile **"Smart girl"**

Jared stood next to Izzy as Sam and Paul ran behind some trees. A second later, two wolves ran out, one was gray, a bit darker than Embry but just as enormous, and the other was pitch-black, nearly invisible in the dark woods, and a bit taller and wider than the other two. If his stance wasn't enough to give him away as Sam, the alpha, the wink she got from the grey one, confirmed who was who. The three wolves had some sort of silent conversation then ran off.

"**You're not gonna change too, are you?" **

"**Not if you don't want me too"** Jared smiled. He laughed when she shook her head frantically.

Jared gave her a hand standing up and used her phone to text Ma, letting her know Izzy would be in LaPush helping out a friend. When he asked her to jump on his back, the look on her face must've been hilarious because his laughter echoed loudly through the woods.

"**Come on"** he laughed, urging her to jump on **"You might as well learn some things"**

She hesitated for a moment, and then figured there couldn't be anything weirder or crazier than seeing your friend morph into a humongous animal, so she jumped on. Jared gave her a cocky little smile and took off like a bat outta hell. As incredible as it sounds, he was much faster on his feet than she was on her motorcycle, and her bike went up to 200mph. The trees were nothing but a blur or dark green and black and the wind nearly froze her face, but it was _amazing! _For the time being, she completely forgot that Embry was running around the woods, completely freaked out about finding out he could morph into a gigantic wolf, but maybe that was Jared's intention.

They got to LaPush in less than five minutes. Even though she couldn't make out much, she did notice Emily's house was way past Jake's house, or most houses for that matter, it was a bit after passing the last house that little dots of light appeared within the thick woods. The smell of cooking filled the air a second before the outline of the small house became clear. The warm, yellow light of the windows seemed to invite them in and Izzy felt like she'd found Goldilocks' secret hideaway.

As he placed her down, Jared let out a loud noise that sounded like an animal call; then again it probably _was _one, a wolf call. As a matter of fact it sounded a lot like 'incoming' which meant it was their way of letting Emily know someone was coming. Jared hadn't said anything, but Izzy figured Emily was Sam's girl; she probably had the guys running in and out all the time, but that didn't mean she didn't want a warning.

Jared took Izzy's hand and towed her up the two steps, into the small house and into the kitchen. A girl was there, and though she was cooking away, she stopped the moment she saw Izzy.

"**Hey, Em"** Jared smiled as he grabbed a biscuit from the counter **"This is Izzy"**

Emily was in her late teens, maybe early twenties, tanned, skin, long silky black hair she had in a loose braid, and though she had large, deep lash scars the right side of her face that went down her arms too, she was very pretty, and the warm, sincere and welcoming smile of hers made her even prettier.

"**Hi"** Izzy smiled shyly

Emily wiped her hands on a towel and walked over to her.

"**I've heard a lot about you"** she extended her hand. When Izzy buried her brows in a silent 'from whom?' she laughed **"Billy talks a lot"** Izzy chuckled and extended her hand **"I'm Emily, Sam's fiancée"**

When Emily took a good look at her, it hit Izzy that her tan pants were all dirty and god only knew what her hair looked like. As she did her best to wipe her pants and run her fingers through her hair, Emily looked at Jared for answers.

"**Embry phased tonight" **he said between bites of mac-n-cheese he had taken from the stove** "She was there and saw the whole thing" **Emily's eyes widened before she turned to Izzy with concern** "Sam and Paul are with Embry" **he continued** "And this one" **he said obviously referring to Izzy **"Was a tough one, didn't pass out or puke or nothing"**

Emily squeezed Izzy's hand** "Sit" **she said pulling a chair** "I'll make you some tea for your nerves" **she said before quickly doing so. Then she turned to Jared with a look that anticipated a scold "**And why aren't you with your brothers?"**

"**Sam said to bring her here" **he answered quickly

"**She's here already"**

"**I'm going I'm going" **he grumbled, took a chicken leg from the fryer and ran out.

Emily rolled her eyes and continued making the tea. With steaming cups in hand, she joined Izzy at the table and handed her a cup. She blew on her tea and took a small sip before sighing deeply.

"**Are you ready?"** she asked **"Because there's a lot you need to know now"**

Emily talked for what seemed like hours. There were plenty of times Izzy's mouth hung wide open, and her head was definitely spinning by the time Emily finished. Sam, Paul, Jared, and now Embry were werewolves, from a long line of werewolves. The tribe elders knew about it and considered them protectors, reason why they were so well liked. _If only I could tell Jake_. She couldn't, it was a secret that wasn't hers, and it wasn't like they were talking anyways. It sucked that such a huge part of their lives had to be kept a secret. Of course it sucked even more than they couldn't know anything about having an intensely bad case of puberty until their first change, or as Izzy called it, 'the night of the big freak out'.

Unlike all the movies and novels Izzy had seen on read, the guys didn't need a full moon, and surprise, surprise the silver bullet was another lie. The body, heat, strength and speed were all truth though. Emily explained that in the beginning the guys didn't have much control over the 'phase' as it was called, strong emotions like anger or even passion could set them off and it took them quite some time to calm down enough to phase back. With time however, they got the hang of things and were able to phase whenever they pleased. Something that happened and was never mentioned in any movie or book was the telepathy between wolves and the no aging until they decided to stop phasing all together.

It was a lot of information to digest, especially when it all involved things you were told all your life were not real. She was working her way through it when a though hit her like a ton of bricks.

"**Protectors"** _Protecting the town from what? _Werewolves had only one enemy, a mortal enemy**"Vampires"** She remembered all the animosity and many times downright hatred LaPush had towards a certain family **"The Cullens" **The familywas secretive, virtually unknown outside of school, inhumanly pale, weird, and no matter how hard she tried to remember them ever eating during lunch, she couldn't. Yeah, they were outside in the daylight, but then again Hollywood's version of mythical creatures went out the window around there…..** "OH MY GOD THE CULLENS ARE VAMPIRES?"**

… ******* … ***** … ***** …**

As if loosing Izz was not bad enough, Jake seemed to have lost Embry as well. Embry was more than his best friend, he was like a brother, attached at the hip since they were toddlers and yet they didn't even speak anymore. At first it seemed nothing more than a few missed days of school, a bad flu maybe, but then it was the unanswered calls, the not coming to the door when he visited and the last and hardest blow, seeing him with Sam, Paul and Jared. Jake and Embry had called that trio 'hall monitors on steroids' a million times and yet there he was, following Sam around like a little puppy. After a week of looking for Embry and having no luck, Jake made a run to the store for some milk and there he was, hanging outside the store, of more of the hall monitors. To make things worse, he didn't even say hello, their eyes locked for a brief second but Embry looked away without a word.

But life goes on and his did too. The bikes were finally done and Jake and Bella were heading out for their first run. Even though he was excited and happy about it, he couldn't help be a little sad deep down. It was never easy to lose a friend, much less two in less than a month, especially two that meant so much to him.

They were going down the road by the shore, joking around about his mad mechanical skills when a deafening scream caused Bella to nearly swerve off the road. She ran outta her truck and searched around for the girl in need. Turns out the girl was Lala.

From the road you could get a perfect view of the cliff, and that's precisely where Lala had been._ Had been_ because she was about halfway down that mountain side by then, freefalling as she screamed her lungs out, Embry diving in right behind her while Sam and Jared laughed their ass off from the top. Bella's face was of absolute horror.

"**They're just cliffdiving, Bella"** Jake stated as he ran after her** "Nothing to worry about"**

"**But the screaming" **she argued

"**That's cause it's scary as hell, especially when it's your first time. Total rush though"**

"**A rush?"**

"**What else would you call freefalling off a mountainside into the ocean?" **he smiled** "Of course most of us jump from lower below" **he snorted** "We leave the showing off to Sam and his disciples"**

"**Seems like you don't like him very much" **Bella frowned

Jake gave her the whole story on Sam, Paul, and Jared, how they stared at him, how they looked at him as if they were waiting on something, how they were idolized by the tribe elders, how much they freaked him out and how it hurt to see Embry with them.

"**That was Embry?" **Bella asked surprised.

"**Yeah"** he nodded **"He was diving after Lala"**

"**Lala?"**

"**Ally" **Jake explained**. **He'd forgotten her nickname was exclusive to certain people.

"**If that's Ally, then that means…"**

He knew exactly what that meant, Izz was there too. He turned around and damn near broke his own hands he clutched his fist so hard. Running up to Sam and Jared was Paul, and he was carrying Izz over his shoulder. He had nothing on but the usual cut off shorts they wore, and she was in black bootie shorts, a yellow bikini top and matching converse. They had obviously jumped previous to them getting there because they were wet, and laughing away like the best of friends, or at least that's as much as he would accept they could be. Jake stared, steam probably coming outta his ears as Izz helped Jared and Paul push Sam off the cliff, which he didn't do without taking Jared down with him. Embry ran up with Lala just as Paul had with Izz, and just like them, Embry was in the uniform shorts and nothing else and Lala had a blue swimming skirt, bikini top and white sneakers. Wet and laughing away as Izz had been.

Embry and Paul tossed Lala over the cliff, and she had before, she screamed all the way down. Once again Embry dove in after her and while Paul was distracted, laughing at Lala, Izz pushed him off too. Jake couldn't take his eyes off her. His gaze must've been strong because she turned around as if he had called her name. She looked directly at him and though he knew better than to expect a friendly gesture, it didn't hurt any less when she looked away without acknowledging him and dove off the cliff.

So many things were going through his head at once. He was jealous, he was angry, he was hurt, and above all, confused. Why were Embry, Izz and Lala hanging out with Sam and his crew? Had Embry's change been due to Izz and Jake's decision to hang out with Bella? But Embry wasn't talking to Quil either so that couldn't be it. When did they all become friends? Last time he'd seen Paul and Izz together, she was telling him off. Was Izz no longer hanging out with Chris? But her being with Paul wasn't any better, matter of fact it was worst. He had so many questions and there was no one to answer them. He was grinding his teeth so hard it was surprising they didn't turn to dust.

"**When was the last time you talked to her**?" Bella asked as she leaned against the hood of her truck.

"**A couple of weeks" **

"**You love her, Jake"** Bella stated **"Don't let her go"**

"**She's not the only one I love" **he said turning to her.

Unlike the usual times she looked away or changed the subject when things got too personal, she smiled.

"**I love you, Jake. You're my best friend and you have no idea how much I desperately need you right now" **his eyes nearly bugged out** "You are my personal sunshine, the only warmth I've felt in months, you make me smile and you make me forget" **she smiled** "But all we could ever be is friends, and it would be incredibly selfish of me to try to keep you all to myself when I know it will be costing you your happiness"**

"**I'm with you because that's what I wanna do"** he stated **"And you're not costing me anything"**

"**That's not true" **she shook her head "**You have acknowledged you love her, that's a start. But I think you need to learn there's a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone"**

"**I'm not a kid anymore, Bella" **he said, upset and a bit offended** "I know the difference"**

"**Ok, so then you know you love me" **she nodded** "But you should also know that it's her you're in love with"**

He couldn't argue or deny it cause he wasn't sure if she was right. _What if she is right?_ His dad and the guys kept telling him his stubbornness and obsession for Bella didn't allow him to see his affection for her was nothing more than friendship. _Could they possibly be right?_ Damn, as if things weren't complicated enough for him.

He had no idea how he was gonna make sense of anything. His heart was a giant enigma he would be trying hard to solve, but one thing he knew for sure, he had to, no, he desperately needed to talk to Izz. The sooner the better.

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs of Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	15. Chapter 15

Ok, so she didn't have a Valentine, no reason for the day to suck. Izzy wore blue jeans, red boots and sweater and was ready for the day, color-wise at least. Since neither she nor Lala had anyone to send them Love Grams, they had agreed to send some to each other, just so they wouldn't feel so bad about having none when they were passed out during homeroom. Oh, who was she kidding; it sucked to be single on a day dedicated to love.

She was running down the stairs when Andy and Mark walked in the front door, trying to hide smiles as they carried small vases holding bouquets of colorful daisies, her favorite. She loved her brothers, they were her best friends, but they were never big on sentiment, every year she got the same gift for her birthday and Christmas, gift cards, she was shocked they would get her flowers.

"**Aw"** she smiled, placing her hand over her heart in a dramatic way.

"**You like them?"** Mark smiled widely

**"They're my favorite, you know that"**

"**It's a good thing you like them" **Andy chuckled.

Her family could be many things; subtle was not one of them. Ma got up from the kitchen table and with coffee mug in hand, walked to the living room archway and smiled. Their mischievous smiles and 'we know something you don't know' looks were as plain as day.

"**You're acting weirder than usual" **Izzy narrowed her gaze** "What are you up to?"**

"**Look outside"** they chorused

Izzy was sure there were up to some sort of prank. She eyed them carefully and suspiciously as she walked past them and opened the door, slowly, just in case. She gasped when she saw the reason for her family's giggle attack. Every inch of her front yard was covered with small vases of colorful daisies.

"**Wow"** she breathed, unable to come up with a better reaction **"Who did this?"**

Andy handed her a red envelope, inside it was a small handwritten note.

**Daisies, beautiful, vivid and exciting, just like you. I give you one for every thought I've had of you.**

**Happy Valentine's Day! – Chris**

It was the weirdest sensation Izzy had ever had. It was extremely flattering that Chris had gone through so much trouble for her, but also a little disappointing that it had been him and not Jake.

"**Someone **_**really **_**like you"** Ma smiled. _So much for going to the dance as friends._

"**Chris or Jake?"**Andy asked

"**Chris"** she answered

"**Ha!"** Mark laughed **"Pay up, Andy boy!"**

"**Yeah, yeah" **Andy grumbled as he and Mark walked out the door.

Izzy stood in the doorway, staring at the sea of daisies her front yard had become and sighed deeply. _Why couldn't they be from Jake? _She missed him so much and it hurt to think that he was too busy with someone else to miss her. She was so lost in thought; it startled her when Ma placed her arm on her shoulder.

"**Let him down nicely, hun" **Ma whispered

"**Huh?"**

"**Chris is a nice kid" **she said** "He's handsome and charming and this move proves he has deep feelings for you and would be great boyfriend material" **she went on as Izzy waited for the 'but' that she could feel coming** "But" **_there it is_** "There's one major problem with him" **she shook her headsoftly** "Reason why you cannot be with him and should let him down gently"**

"**Which is?"**

"**He's not the one your heart belongs to" **she said softly** "He's not Jake, is he?" **A huge lump formed in Izzy's throat and her eyes watered as she shook her head. Ma's face got as sad as Izzy felt, and gave her a tight hug **"Oh, honey" **she sighed** "You have no idea how much I wish I could just wash that pain away"**

"**Me too, Ma" **Izzy whispered. She knew once the tears started it would be very hard to stop them and she refused to start her day that way. She pulled away from the hug and quickly wiped the tear that was beginning to escape** "I should go" **she said with a sucky attempt at a smile** "I gotta pick up Lala's gift before school"**

During one of their late-night 'girl' talks, Lala had confessed that even though she swore they were cheesy and cliché, she had always secretly wanted a HUGE teddy bear for Valentine's. Of course it became Izzy's mission to find the biggest, fluffiest teddy bear in existence for her best friend. Since the only way it could stay a surprise was if it was a secret from everyone, she left the package at the post office till the very day and asked Chris to give Lala a ride to school. Only problem was Izzy now had to run there before school.

"**Go ahead, baby"** Ma smiled **"Hope Lala loves it"**

"**She will" **Izzy chuckled, gave Ma a kiss on the cheek, grabbed her keys to D's car since she would need the passenger seat, her bag and ran out the door.

Getting to the post office took only a couple of minutes. The hard part was getting the 6 ½ ft, 40lbs teddy bear in the car, darn thing barely fit in the passenger's seat. But Lala's reaction was worth all the trouble.

When Izzy pulled into the parking lot, Lala was sitting on a bench with Chris, talking to a couple of guys from the football team. Next to Lala was a gift box, wrapped in red paper and topped with a big silver bow, and beside it was a bouquet of roses. Izzy prayed to all the gods the gift were Lala's, or the football players, last thing she wanted was _more_ gifts from Chris, it would be awkward enough to thank him for the flower shop she had at home. As soon as Lala saw Izzy, she got up and took the red box, moment she got a look at the teddy bear she ran to her.

"**Happy Valentine's Day!"** Izzy smiled, holding out the bear to her.

Lala placed the box on the roof of D's car and hugged the bear **"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!"** she screamed, jumping up and down with the enormous bear **"I love it, Izz! Thank you!"**

"**You're welcome"** Izzy smiled **"I knew you would"**

"**The box for you" **she said, still jumping around with her bear **"Happy V Day"**

Izzy loved the SHOEI, black and white swirl with pink butterfly helmet Lala had gotten her. After sharing a quick hug and commenting on their outfits, she placed her helmet in the trunk of the car. She offered to leave the bear in the car as well but of course Lala refused, how else would people see her teddy?

They were walking to the benches when Izzy saw Chris waiting for them with roses in hand. A deep sigh escaped her, which Lala noticed immediately. Lala's eyes widened as Izzy told her about her flower-filled morning. They were deliberately walking slowly, to have time to go over all the deetz of the morning, and to give Izzy time to come up with a friendly, yet not _too_ friendly 'thank you'. She was dragging on her steps when she heard a voice that stopped her dead in her tracks.

"**IZZ!"**

For a moment she thought she was dreaming, maybe even hallucinating. She knew she wasn't by the way everyone turned. So afraid that if she moved too quickly he would disappear, she turned as slowly as humanly possible. She saw him but was frozen solid, still not convinced he was there. She dropped her bag and let out a deafening scream of joy and ran to him.

His smile was wide, happy to see her as well and as he had so many times before, wrapped his arms around her as she jumped to him.

"**I can't believe you're here!"** she said in a weird combination of laughter and cry **"I missed you so much"**

"**I missed you too, Princess" **Daniel chuckled

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

After much thought, and plenty of sleepless nights, Jake decided there couldn't be a better day to talk to Izz and patch things up than on the day dedicated to love and friendship. He'd been planning for over a week, even bought her something, he never imagined he would spend the morning chasing after her. He left his house early, or so he thought, and went to her house, only to arrive just after she had left for the post office. His car was not as fast as her brothers; he got to the post office just in time to see her speed off.

He got to Forks High just a few minutes after Izz and saw as she got off her brother's car looking as beautiful as ever. Jake admired her as she and Lala, swapped gifts, talked and laughed for a few minutes. He wasn't supposed to be there and didn't wanna attract unnecessary attention to himself, so parked outside the school and had to walk across the football field. He had reached the trees at the far end of the parking lot and the girls had yet to reach the halfway point of the parking lot. It was obvious they were deliberately walking so slow but he couldn't imagine why. He was about to call her name when he saw the moron Chris. He was waiting for her; smile from ear to ear, a dozen red roses in hand.

That asshole always caused his blood to boil. He didn't hide the fact that he had the hots for his girl and Jake wanted to cool him off, maybe with his fists. The only thing that calmed him was that there was no way Izz and him were together. If that had been the case she would've been with him and not Lala, and she wouldn't be dragging her feet, avoiding him? That thought brought a smile to Jake's lips.

He was about to call her name when once again something prevented him from it. Someone else beat him to it. Jake's head, as everyone else's snapped in the guy's direction. He was a couple of inches over 6ft, light skinned though tanned, dark blonde, hazel eyes, big smile, well built and waiting for her.

It was clear that Izz was floored when she saw him. If the scream wasn't enough, her running to him and throwing her arms around him as she jumped, was. Jake stood and stared as they held each other in embrace for a long time. He got fed up before they finished. He left and they were still hugging each other in the middle of the parking lot.

He could've had asked Bella if she had heard anything at school but didn't. First of all it would've broken the deal they had made about not mentioning _you-know-who's_ and second, he couldn't choke down his pride enough to do so. He would look like a pathetic looser trying to get dirt on a girl that didn't ask about him.

Jake gave Bella a box of conversation hearts for Valentine's Day, she had no clue what day it was, no surprise there. He was surprised she asked him and Quil to join her and some friends from school to a movie on Friday night. He would've rather it just be them but he would take the group date, of course Quil would be thrilled to go out with senior girls. They spent the afternoon working on homework and planning a hike, Bella had become obsessed with finding some meadow she had been to once. Once it got dark, as usual she headed home to make dinner for Charlie.

Jake tried to continue doing homework but couldn't concentrate. He tried taking a shower but not even the hot water could calm him, Izz was driving him nuts. Day after their fight she goes out with Chris, from conversations he'd had with Seth, Chris was spending a lot of time at Izz's house, she hung out with Sam and his trio, which included Embry, and seemed quite friendly with Paul, then she seems to be trying to stay away from Chris but runs to the arms of another guy Jake had never seen before. _I need to know what's going on!_

Jake threw on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and the boots she'd bought for him the first time they went to Port Angeles. He grabbed the little golden box from his top drawer, his keys, yelled something along the lines of 'I'll see you later' to his dad and headed to Forks, to Izz's house.

The loud music could be heard from down the block, very common in for Izz's house, common enough for Jake to know it wasn't a party or anything. He parked his Rabbit on the curb and walked up to the front door, which was slightly open, laughter and several voices coming from within. Jake was wondering if he should knock, if they would even hear him, or if he should walk on in since the door was technically open. A few weeks earlier he would've walked in without a second thought, things had changed a lot since then. Just as he was gonna knock, loudly, to be heard over the music and conversations, the door swung wide open, in the doorway stood the guy Izz had been hugging in the school parking lot earlier.

"**Hey"** he said sternly

Jake wasn't sure what to say. _Why the hell is he here? Who is he? _He was about to ask for Andy, the safest choice, when Seth ran up the door, wearing black slacks and red shirt.

"**Hey, Jake!"** he smiled

"**Sup, Jake!"** Mark hollered from the couch he was sitting on **"Come on in!"**

"**So you're Jake" **the guy at the door said, eyeing him alittle** "Go ahead" **he said moving out the way.

The entire house smelled like flowers, which didn't surprise him since it was completely filled with vases of daisies. _Strange!_ Music was blaring from the stereo system in the living room, where everyone was gathered. Mark was in tan slacks and white shirt, sitting on the couch, flirting with a short blonde girl in a red dress, Lala sat on the other couch, wearing a dark tweed mini skirt and red 'punk' t-shirt as she gave Jake a 'you're so lucky there are witnesses' look, Seth ran to sit next to her, where he probably was sitting before. A younger, petite girl in a pale pink dress sat on the love seat and Andy sat on the arm, wearing all black. It was obvious they were going out to celebrate Valentine's Day. _When did Seth and Lala hookup? _It was Andy who got up and went up to Jake.

"**Hey, stranger"** he smiled, patting Jake on the back **"Want you to meet someone"** he added, walking to the mystery guy **"As you've heard this is Jake"** he laughed to him before turning to Jake again **"Jake this is our brother D. Just got back today" **_Their brother D, of course!_

"**Nice to meet you" **Jake extended his hand **"Heard a lot about you"**

"**Me too"** he answered, shaking his hand firmly **"I'll get Izz for you"**

Ok, it was obvious Izz had had a long talk with her brother. Things did not look good for Jake.

"**IZZ!"** he hollered up the stairs. Mark and Andy laughed as Jake stood awkwardly** "Someone's here for you!"**

The smell of honeysuckle swirled in the room a second before she appeared, quickly running down the stairs in a red plaid mini skirt, black tights, red shoes that matched her skirt and crop top, and black sweater that covered just enough, her belly button peaking from underneath. She was always beautiful but the smile she sported made her absolutely stunning. Too bad that smile disappeared the moment she saw him.

"**Oh"** she said, stopping mid-step, definitely surprised to see him **"I wasn't….expecting …**_**you**_**"**

She was expecting _someone_, just not him. Not good.

"**Why don't you and Jake got talk outside"** D suggested.

Izz turned to him with an obvious _'are you serious?'_ look. D cocked his brow and gave her a very meaningful look, she sighed in defeat. Jake suddenly liked her brother.

"**Come on"** she said to Jake, walking past him and out the door.

He followed her outside, where she stood at the edge of the first step, staring straight ahead. He wanted to play it cool, to act suave and smooth but the urge to touch her was too strong, his arms were wrapped around her before he could stop himself. Oddly enough, she didn't stop him either; on the contrary, she turned around and hugged him back.

"**I'm sorry"** he leaned to whisper in her ear **"I've missed you so much"**

"**Me too"** she whispered into his chest.

It had been weeks since they'd seen or talked to each other. They took a moment to just hold each other without saying a word. When she stepped back and looked up at him, he stared at those lovely jade eyes of hers and realized just how much he loved them. He had so much he'd planned on telling her, so much he planned on asking her, but holding her close turned his mind into a huge blank. He gently stroked her cheek and tilted her head up, landing his lips on her warm, sweet, pouty lips. As usual, she made the entire world fade away. It was sweet and gentle yet incredibly sensual and better than any memory he'd replayed a million times in his head.

"**I got you something"** he said between kisses

She moved back slightly to narrow her gaze at him **"You did?"**

"**Actually two things" **he smiled** "But only one's for Valentine's Day"**

"**Ok?" **she chuckled **"Gimme"** she smiled, holding her right palm up.

He took the box out of his front pocket and got the silver link bracelet ready behind her back, then placed it on her wrist.

"**This is**_** your **_**friendship bracelet"** he smiled, turning the bracelet over so she could see the small circular 'J' charm dangling from it.

"**I love it"** she smiled, tiptoeing to kiss his cheek, which he turned to catch her lips.

After a quick kiss, he took her right hand **"And this is for Valentine's Day" **he smiled, sliding the eternity ring on her ring finger **"Damn! It's too big"** he frowned when the ring dangled loosely.

"**Nope"** she said, taking the ring and sliding it on her index finger **"It's perfect" **she smiled** "I'll never take them off"**

"**Promise?" **he smiled

"**Pinkie swear" **she laughed, holding her pinkie out.

He laughed and wrapped his pinkie around hers. They sat on the steps and held hands, catching up briefly on the past couple of weeks. They talked about school, science projects, her brothers' new love interests, the 'attraction' between Lala and Seth, and even her outings with Sam and his trio, though she was evasive about the details or the reason why Embry wasn't talking anymore. The only thing she did say about that was 'you'll understand soon'. She didn't bring up Bella and he didn't mention the jerk-off Chris either.

"**I'm having movie night here on Friday"** she pushed him playfully **"You're coming, right?"**

"**Umm…"** he buried his brows, knowing what would happen next **"I kinda have plans for Friday already"**

"**Oh" **she pouted slightly **"That's cool"** she shrugged **"Whatcha up to?"**

_Crap!_ **"I'm going to the movies…."** he answered **"…..with Bella"**

She threw his hand away from her and stood up, ready to kill him **"You gotta be fucking kidding me"** she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air

"**Come on, Izz"** he stood up, she instantly took a giant step away from him **"It's a group thing. And I was sure you weren't even gonna talk to me anymore"**

"**And with good reason"** she spat **"But forget about it! Why don't you get the hell outta here and go play court jester for poor, pitiful, pathetic little Bella!"**

He was about to say something, anything, when a white Honda Civic pulled into the driveway. Why did it surprise Jake to see Chris get off, dressed all in black, the _someone_ she had been expecting.

"**Funny how fast you replaced me"**

"**Yeah, hilarious"** she said through her teeth** "Almost as fast as you replaced me"**

He felt like a white hot iron had pierced his chest. Chris never once looked at them; he leaned against his door and pretended to admire the stars. Jake didn't like the jerk-off, but he had to hand it to him, not once did he gloat or gave him the slightest hint of cockiness. Jake definitely would've in his position.

Izz walked to stand toe to toe with Jake and looked at him with anger in her eyes he'd never seen in them before, never. A cold chill ran down his spine.

"**God, Jacob" **she said way too calmly** "I really hope you realize Bella's just using you. She knows exactly what you feel for her and is milking it for all its worth cause she needs you to get over Edward. The moment she gets back with him, or ends up obsessing over some other moron, she'll no longer need you and you'll go back to being the sweet friend she ignores until its convenient for her" **she shook her head and sighed** "I'm not a spiteful person, but I have to admit that it gladdens me a bit to know you'll feel exactly what I've been feeling. Good luck with that"**

"**You ready to go?" **Chris asked her

She nodded and turned towards the house** "I know you're listening!" **she yelled** "So get out here cause it's time to go!"**

The dumbasses walked out one by one, smooth. Jake couldn't move, he had suddenly forgotten how his body functioned; all he knew was there was a searing pain in his chest and a knot in his throat.

"**Idiot"** Lala whispered as she passed by him.

Seth gave him a sympathetic look as he passed by, but no one else bothered to look his way. Izz gave everyone a 'not a word' look as she got into Chris's car and slammed the door. Seth and Lala got in the back, and Mark, Andy and their dates got onto Mark's car. Jake just stood there as they drove away.

It was a few minutes before his body remembered how to get the hell outta there. When he turned around, D was standing at the front door, looking at him. He didn't say a word but he didn't have to. D shook his head and rolled his eyes before walking inside and shutting the door.

_How the hell did things get so fucked up? Again!_

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out Izzy's gifts and other story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs on Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	16. Chapter 16

There were days she could smile, flip her hair and pretend everything was ok. But then there were days all she wanted to do was ball up in her bed and cry. Friday was one of those days for Izzy. School had been a blur, Chris had asked her out to dinner but she made up some lame excuse to get out of it, her brothers suggested she and Lala tag along on their double date, yeah, that was _so _not happening, she wasn't even in the mood for movie night, which Lala totally understood. Ma had the night shift on Fridays and D was busy hammering away in the garage, getting his apartment ready, which meant she had the house to herself.

Ariel called a little after Izzy got home from school. For once Izzy didn't complain about her non-stop chatting, it was nice to have a conversation that had nothing to do with Forks or more importantly, LaPush. They talked; well _Ariel_ talked for almost two hours and actually had Izzy laughing a few times. It was so easy to close her eyes and pretend she was laying on the sunny beaches of San Diego with her, wiggling her toes in the sand, her skin tingly from the warm sun shining on it. Sadly, that vision lasted very little, the moment she opened her eyes she was right back in Forks, surrounded by evergreens, rain lightly hitting her window and Jake so close yet so far away.

Bubble baths had always made her feel better, wasn't quite working this time. No matter how hard she tried to think of other things, _anything_, Jake kept creeping up on her. Suddenly Izzy had a great idea; maybe what she and Lala needed was to get away. A weekend trip to San Diego would be perfect, old friends, sunny beaches, cute surfers, nice shopping, and no memories of dumb boys that stole their hearts and split. That idea kept her mind busy for a while; she soaked in steamy bubbly water, mentally planning a girl's getaway. It was all going great until she remembered that at that precise moment Jake was in Port Angeles with Bella. _So much for that!_

Once the thought was in her head, it was all she could think of. She got outta the bath and into her comfy pjs, blasted the playlist she and Lala had made (No Doubt's 'Don't Speak, Avril Lavigne's 'Slipped Away' and 'When You're Gone', Rascal Flat's 'What Hurts The Most', Three Days Grace's 'Over and Over', Simple Plan's 'I Miss You' and 3 Doors Down's 'Here Without You') and balled up in her bed. Why the hell was Bella more important? Why is it he could blow Izzy off but not her? Bella ignored him for months, all she cared about was Edward, she didn't care about hurting Jake's feeling then, so why is it he can't bear to hurt her feelings but had no problem hurting the one that had been with him day in and day out for months? Izzy didn't even realize she was crying until she felt the pillow she was hugging was wet, but that's just what she needed, a good cry.

She felt sad, hurt, lonely, unappreciated, disposable, and just plain heartbroken. She missed the laughs she had with her best friend, the jokes they made as they worked in the garage, the innuendos that made Quil and Embry blush, the dinners they made together and had with Billy, the football games they had at the beach, the truth or dare games they played at bonfires, the long talks they had late at night and the they way they could discuss anything and everything. She missed the sweetness in those dreamy black eyes of his, that beautiful smile that took her breath away everytime, the warmth of his touch, the scent of his smooth, tanned skin, the way he buried his brows when he was upset, bit his lower lip when he couldn't find the proper words to say, or the way he bit his fingernails when he was trying to concentrate on something. She missed the huskiness of his deep voice, the sound of her name coming out of his lips, the way her body melted when he held her, the way her heart went into overdrive when he kissed her and how they world disappeared when they were together. She missed him so much it hurt to breathe sometimes. She couldn't deny it to herself anymore; somewhere along the way she had fallen in love with Jacob Black. But admitting it didn't do her any good. She could give him everything he ever wanted; unfortunately he wanted it from someone else, Bella Swan.

"**Hey, Izz!"** D called as he stomped up the stairs **"Since it's just you and me tonight"** he continued, getting closer as she sat up on her bed and did her best to wipe her face **"How 'bout we order a pi.."** the moment he saw her face he knew she'd been crying, of course the runny nose and red puffy eyes didn't help **"Oh, princess"** he sighed sympathetically and it was enough for her to burst into tears again. He sat next to her on the bed and wrapped his arm around her. As she did when she was little, she hugged him and hid her face as she cried onto his chest **"Its Jake isn't it?" **he asked, she nodded **"Aw, man, I knew this day would come"** he said stroking her hair **"You have no idea how much I wish I could've spared you from getting your heartbroken, babe, but sadly it's a part of life we all have to go through at some point"**

"**It sucks"** she sobbed, making him laugh

"**Yeah, it does"** he chuckled, making her head bounce of his chest **"And it sucks even more that I can't even tell you it'll never happen again" **he added kissing the top of her head** "But if it makes you feel better, one day, when you've found that one guy that loves you and respects the way you deserve, you'll appreciate it that much more cause it's these bad times that make you realize just how good the good times are"**

She peeked up at him and frowned** "That don't make me feel better"**

"**I didn't think it would" **he smiled** "But it was the only thing I could think of"**

Though unintentional, he made her laugh. He handed her some Kleenex off her desk and sat for an explanation. After witnessing her meltdown, she had to tell him a lot more than she had intended to. She wondered just how much he _already_ knew.

"**So how much dirt have you gotten?"** she sniffled with a smile

"**Not much"** he answered honestly **"Mark don't really know nothing, so he was no help" **he rolled his eyes** "Andy knows but won't tell me. And Ma didn't say much more than 'let her work things out on her own, Daniel' and 'don't kill him or she'll never forgive you, Daniel'" **he said in his best Ma voice, making herlaugh out loud** "And before we get started" **he smiled** "That's a big boy" **he said in amazement, obviously referring to Jake** "I'm glad you like the big guys that can kick some major ass and protect you" **he added flexing, showing he was talking about muscles as well and not only height. She laughed and rolled her eyes. It was so like her brother to worry about the size of the guys she went out with** "So how long did you guys date? And is this a break up or just a fight?"**

"**Five months"** she answered **"And it's a fight…sorta. I mean, we can't break up since we were never technically together, right?"**

That definitely got D's attention. He looked at her like she had just grown a second head** "You need to do some major explaining here cause now I don't know **_**what's**_** going on"**

She told him everything there was to know when it concerned Jake and Izzy's relationship, minus the entire make-out details of course. No need the say the werewolf thing was also left out. She was a little afraid he would judge her or be disappointed about the way she handled things, friend with benefits was not something any older brother wanted to hear involving his baby sister. D rolled his eyes a few times and shook his head a couple more, but he remembered well what it was like to be sixteen and kept it cool. Even explained a few things about teenage boys, the way they thought, why they behaved the way they did sometimes and gave her a few pointers.

"**And that's all there is to know"**

"**You wanna know something?" **D smiled** "That kid is so in love with you?"**

"**What? How on earth did you get that from what we just talked about?"**

"**I didn't get it from that" **he answered** "That only confirmed it" **he smiled. It was her turn to look at him like he'd lost his mind** "Izz, you didn't see the way he looked at you" **he explained **"One look at you and his face lit up, his breathing pattern changed, his mannerisms changed. It's not every day a girl can make you do that"**

"**I don't know" **she sighed **"I don't doubt he loves me. But I do doubt I'm the only one he loves"**

"**Well I have this little sister" **he said trying to hold in a smile** "She's smart and caring, she can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but I love her to death and I admire her deeply cause she knows exactly what she wants and goes out and gets it, even if it means breaking the rules a little. She's a little bad ass but with a heart of gold" **he nodded **"I'm sure if she were in your situation, she would do something about it"**

"**Yeah" **she smiled** "I think I need to go find her"**

"**Ok" **he stated, getting off the bed and pulling her too **"Enough with the heavy" **he smiled** "I'm starving. So how 'bout we order a couple of pizzas and watch some movies?"  
**

"**Sounds like a plan"**

D knew exactly which movies made her cry and tossed them aside. After their heart to heart, he'd had more drama than he cared for, they needed a good laugh. They scarfed down the pizzas, a couple liters of soda and bags of candy as they watched 'Kings of Comedy' and 'George Lopez: Why You Crying?' They were looking for a third DVD when the lights flickered, meaning someone was at the door.

"**I'll get it"** D said with a mouthful of recess **"You get the movie started"** Izz got 'Fast and Furious' which she and D both loved and waited for him to return. It didn't take long to hear him run down the stairs** "You got company" **he smiled as he walked in** "Waiting for you in the living room"**

He shoved her out the door before she could ask who. About two steps later she heard the boom from the THX system, that meant one of two things, one, D wasn't waiting for her, or two, he knew better than to wait for her. She knew the answer the moment she opened the door to the living room. Jake was sitting on the couch, elbows on his knees, right leg shaking away.

He snapped his head up the moment she closed the door and stood up giving her that smile she missed so badly. It was then she noticed his trembling hadn't been from his leg shaking. She felt a pang in her stomach. She quickly went up to him and placed her hands on his cheeks, he was on fire. He was breathing heavy, small beads of sweat formed on his forehead and his tan skin looked a little chalky. She knew exactly what was happening.

"**I needed to see you"** he said. His voice a little forced and deeper than usual

"**Me too"** she smiled "**But sit" **her couch made a thud of complain as the full weight of his body landed on it **"How do you feel?"**

"**A little weird, actually"** he confessed** "Just…"**

"**Not right?"**

"**Yeah" **he nodded **"That's exactly how I feel"**

His body was reacting a lot quicker than Embry's and she was afraid there wasn't much time. She had to act quickly. She needed her shoes, her cell, and to get Jake outside.

"**I'll be right back" **she said running up the stairs. The first thing she did was grab her cell phone and dial. She sighed in relief when Sam answered **"Jake's about to phase"** she blurted out **"You need to get over here, like now!"**

"**Two minutes"** he answered **"Get him outside, deep in the woods if you can"**

"**I'll try"**

"**And, Izz?" **he said** "For your safety, please keep your distance"**

"**Oh shut up and get over here!"**

She grabbed the first pair of sneakers and hoodie she found and dressed on her way down the stairs, which she did in record time. Jake looked up at her, brows buried in confusion. Normal reaction but he wasn't looking good.

"**Are you ok?"**

"**I don't have time to explain right now"** she said doing her best to pull him off the couch **"But we gotta go outside"**

Jake was taller than Embry and bigger, therefore heavier, she could hardly move him. Thank goodness he got up on his own.

"**Outside?"**

"**Yeah, come on"** she pulled his hand, guiding him out. He allowed her to tow him to the back of her house but hesitated a bit when she tried pulling him deeper into the woods. He sighed when he realized she wasn't budging and followed **"Sam!"** she yelled out **"Where the hell are you?"**

"**What the hell's going on, Izz?" **Jake demanded

"**Don't get mad at her, bro"** Embry said as he and Sam walked from behind some trees **"She's helping"**

Jake looked from Embry to Sam, from Sam to Izzy and from Izzy to Embry. He was confused and he was upset and wanted an explanation, deserved an explanation. He was gonna get one very soon. A minute later Jared and Paul appeared too and it didn't help the situation. Izzy had been present for Embry's phasing, it was painful for them, hard to watch for anyone, especially someone that cared about them and the end result was terrifying. She didn't wanna be there for Jake's, it would be too hard for her to handle and it wouldn't help him either to have her there. Fortunately the pack understood that.

"**I know what he means to you"** Paul whispered in her ear **"I won't be good for you to see him go through this" **he added, a lot more understanding than she knew him to be **"You want me to walk you home?"**

She nodded. Paul held out his hand to her, she took it, and suddenly everything was a blur. Jake plunged, Sam yelled, the guys yelled, suddenly she was airborne, she landed on top of Paul, Embry landed on top of her and then they were rolling on the floor, moving the hell out of Jake's way. There was some ripping and growling and when Jake landed a few feet away, there was nothing left but a colossal russet wolf.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

It had been the most horrific experience of his life. It is awful to lose control of your body, but the worst is losing your body all together, to suddenly realize you're no longer who or what you thought you were, you're some freak of nature, some humongous animal, a threat to those you love. And just as he thought things couldn't get any weirder, Sam, Jared, Paul and Embry were replaced by abnormally large wolves, wolves just like him. Then pain, the confusion, the horror, the disorientation, and then the voices that suddenly fill your head, and though they're explaining what's happening and trying to help you, it doesn't make it any less freaky.

It had taken Jake hours to calm down, the guys with him through every horrific moment of it. It's not easy to accept all those stories, those legends you'd heard all your life, were not only true, but you're a key player in the game. _Werewolves and vampires and treaties, oh my!_

Phasing back was no picnic either, it hurt just a bad and then left you butt naked in the middle of the woods. Sam said phasing only hurt the first time, that things would get easier, he sure hoped so. Jake's body ached so bad even the wind made him whimper. He didn't realize he had been carried home until he felt the familiarity of his house. His worried dad looked on as Sam and Embry placed him in his bed and covered him._ Jacob Black's life just kept getting better and better._ He hugged his pillow and suddenly he felt a lot better, calm, and sleepy.

"**Her scent seems to calm him"** he heard Embry whisper

"**She's probably on her way, but I'll call her anyways"** Sam said

His mind and his body turned off after that. Things suddenly were great, he was walking on the beach with Izz, holding hands, laughing, and she looked at him lovingly, him, Jake, just Jake. Werewolves didn't exist, vampires were fiction and life was good. If only he could remain dreaming.

… *** …

The sun hit his face and even squinting hurt like hell. His head pounded, his body felt like a wet mop and though he didn't even have the strength to breath, he was forced to sniff, the room was filled with a scent he knew well, one he suddenly felt he could locate anywhere, one he'd always loved but now felt he needed, honeysuckle. He flexed his arm and though it felt like it was broken in a million pieces, he felt soft, warmth in his hand, a small hand. He opened his eyes and saw the most beautiful sight he could imagine, Izz's face looking at him. She smiled though the worry was evident. She was sitting on the floor, leaning on his bed, holding his hand, which he had been clutching without realizing.

With a sudden burst of energy, he pulled her off the floor and onto his bed, pulling her against his side. He paid dearly for that move cause even his hair hurt, but he was surprised to see how easily and quickly he had done that. _This new body's gonna take some getting used to._ Izz gently kissed his bare chest and he felt ten times better.

"**You're here"** he said in a voice that sounded nothing like his, broken, cracking.

"**Sam called"** she whispered, as if she knew he couldn't handle loud noises. His face fell; she was only there because Sam had asked her too. She saw his reaction and smiled** "I was already on my way. I need to know you were ok"**

"**I am. I will be. I think so. I hope so" **he suddenly remembered her words "You'll understand soon" the only explanation she gave about Embry and then everything made sense **"You knew"**

She nodded guiltily. **"Embry was at my house the first time he phased"**

"**That's why you knew what to do" **it wasn't a question.

She nodded again **"I couldn't let you poof in the middle of my living room**" she smiled

"**Why didn't you tell me?"**

"**Didn't they tell you the importance of the secret? Besides, it wasn't my secret to tell" **she answered, then frowned **"And it's not like we were exactly on speaking terms"**

He smiled.** "How much do you know?"**

"**Everything"** she shrugged **"I got the werewolf 101 class that night"** she smiled **"I have the honor to be the first outsider to know. Well expect for the Cullens, but then again they have their own secret, which technically makes them insiders"**

Jake felt this rage wash over him at mere sound of that name 'Cullens'. He couldn't believe they were vampires, dead bloodsuckers, and Bella knew and kept their secret, doing her best to become one of them. He felt repulsed and angry and suddenly his bed was shaking, no, he was making it shake with his trembling. Izz instantly took his face and kissed him. The touch of her lips stopped the trembling. She smiled.

"**How did you know to do that?"**

She shrugged.** "Embry said my scent seemed to calm you. I figured a kiss might work even better"**

He pulled her on top of him and kissed her again, her hair cascading around his face, intertwining with this own. He loved her. He truly loved her. A lot more than he thought. He placed a strand of hair behind her ear and horror struck him. On her left cheek was a large scrape and it was bruising.

"**Did I do that?"**

She stroked her face and shook her head **"It happened when we were trying to get away from you"** she smiled **"But no, it wasn't you"**

"**It was because of me, so yes, I did do that"**

"**Don't"** she said with a broken voice, tears pooling in her beautiful green eyes** "Don't you dare push me away from you with that lame excuse. You would never hurt me"**

He nodded though he knew what he had to do. Even if it killed him, he had to stay away from her. He couldn't risk hurting her, ever. Because he loved her he had to make sure she was safe, and he was a big danger.

"**Ok. But all this is a lot to handle. I need time to get used to this body, to figure things out, to learn the ropes in a sense"** he told her **"I need some time. Alone"**

"**I understand" **she nodded **"But remember I've hung out with the pack, I know for a fact this whole werewolf thing is not an excuse to cut me out of your life. Human Jake, werewolf Jake, you're just Jake to me, ok; nothing's changed, not for me. If it's your intention to bail on me, be a man about it and tell me the real reason"**

God, he loved her! She didn't care in the least that he turned into an enormous dog. He didn't deserve her. He took her face and kissed her with passion and need he'd never felt before. The kiss left her breathless and him with a huge….problem. Problem she felt and laughed about. She gave him a quick kiss and jumped off him, throwing him a pillow to cover up the… problem.

"**Call me"** she smiled from his bedroom door.

"**Ok"** nodded **"And Izz" **he called, causing her to stop and turn back** "If you happen to see an immense wolf roaming around your house, say hello"**

"**Will do" **she smiled, blew him a kiss and walked out.

He had to stay away from her. Could he stay away from her? _What the hell am I gonna do?_

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out D's pic and other story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs on Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	17. Chapter 17

Sixteen years thinking he was nothing more than a regular kid, family, friends, school, girls, hormones. He had problems most kids his age had, arguments with his dad, disagreements with his friends, boredom at school, liking a girl that didn't like him, liking more than one girl, sexual frustration, normal stuff. Then one day he finds out he's the farthest thing from normal. He finds out, the hard way, that he's a werewolf, that his body morphs into a massive wolf, that he's part of a pack he always believed mythical, and is in a war he didn't know existed, and if that wasn't enough, he's told he's responsible for the safety of an entire town. Yeah, there's something every teenage boy wants to hear.

By birthright, Jake was meant to be Alpha of the pack, _like hell he was, _he didn't wanna be part of a pack to begin with, nothing could possibly force him to be in charge of one. Sam was surprised at Jake's declination but understood, deep down a little glad to retain his title, giving Jake the position of Beta. Jake didn't like that either, but it was better than Alpha. He wasn't prepared to take on such an enormous responsibility, and he certainly didn't wanna give orders around. The only downside to the whole arrangement, Jake wasn't very good at following orders, and with Sam as Alpha, what he said went. _Let's see how that works out. _Losing your free will is awful, but by far the worst part of being a werewolf, the complete loss of privacy. Every thought, every memory, insecurity, worst nightmare, embarrassment and most sacred secret were out in the open for the entire pack to hear. Things would be so much better if he could turn off his brain every once in a while.

But Jake had to admit not all things were bad. From the moment he phased, there was a feeling of brotherhood and unity that washed over him that was hard to describe. Embry had always been his brother, but suddenly so were Sam, Jared and Paul, well maybe Paul was more like a cousin. The acute senses were a double edge sword, he could hear and smell everything for miles around which was incredibly awesome, but then again, he could smell and hear _everything_, _all the time_. Phasing became as natural to him as breathing, and there was an immense feeling of empowerment that went along with that. The speed, the strength, the agility and rock hard, weatherproof body didn't suck either. His hunger was twice as big, his libido was through the roof and he had to constantly watch his temper but hopefully he would get the handle of things very soon.

But there was also a whole different side of being a werewolf, living as a werewolf in a human world was not easy. No outsiders were supposed to know of their existence, that meant secrecy, anonymity, distancing from friends, total loss of social life and drastic change in priorities. The pack came first to it all. Number one priority was saving human lives and annihilating vampires, everything else was second. The pack became his only friends. Embry was part of the pack , the one old friend he could keep close, because even though Izz knew all about it, there was no way he was gonna risk her getting hurt by being close to him. As much as he hated it, she was part of the friends he had to keep at arm's length, right along with Quil and Bella, not easy to do. But even if he'd been allowed to, there was no time to call or see friends, school was out of the question, and sometimes there was hardly time to sleep. Running through the woods as a wolf at all hours, searching for vampires, was exhausting and time consuming, it was what they did for about ¾ of the day, especially with the recent increase in attacks.

It seemed like the only times Jake made it home anymore was to shower and sleep. He was so exhausted even with the hyper senses he went out like a light. He didn't know firsthand who was calling, coming or going, but he got the memos from his dad. Seth stopped by the house once or twice but stayed away after that. Quil stopped by afterschool everyday for the first week but then gave up as well. But Bella called everyday and just about all day. Jake never answered and after giving her every excuse in the book, his dad got tired and stopped answering the house phone all together. She didn't give up, constantly filling his voicemail inbox, which he made sure to delete without listening to the messages; it hurt too much to hear the sadness in her voice. Parts of him missed her and wished he could tell her everything and keep her close, but there were even bigger parts that were angry for all the lies and secrets she still went out of her way to keep. But he still loved her. He did quick runs around her house, making sure she and Charlie were safe, though he never got close enough to see her, he was still too angry for that. He hated to admit it but he had a feeling things would never be the same between them.

Izz on the other hand never called. He knew she missed him just as much as he did her, but she always gave him his space and waited for him to call, but he never did. The sound of her voice would only cause him to run out to her, which he couldn't, wouldn't, he wasn't gonna put her in any danger, not again. He did make sure to always text her right before he went to bed, whenever that was, and day, night or in between, she always texted back. It was nice to have one normal friend he could be completely honest and open with, but it hurt like hell to push her away. He got a huge lump in his throat everytime she asked to see him and he made up an excuse to say no. Her words instantly ran though his mind "Don't you dare push me away with that lame excuse" and when he closed his eyes all he could see were her beautiful green eyes, watery and sad as they looked down at him.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stay away, he ran by Izz's house as often as he could. He had gotten to learn a lot of things about her in the process. She pressed the snooze button on her alarm at least twice before getting up, she had hot chocolate every morning, she loved listening to oldies while doing her homework, she practiced kickboxing with D and could kick serious ass, and she loved to sleep with her window open, which he had to seriously talk to her about. Sometimes he wasn't able to see her, but smelling her sweet scent and hearing the shallows breaths of her slumber was enough to calm him, knowing she was safe and sound. And even though he got hell for it from Sam, there were times he went a bit too close to Forks High in order to see her.

In school as at home, Izz spent most of her time with Lala and her brothers, but also with Chris. That punk looked for her constantly, walked her to class before school, walked her to her bike afterschool, and stuck to her like glue in between. Jake couldn't stand when he touched her, but had to fight the urge to rip his head off everytime that punk placed his arm around her shoulders. He hated seeing her laugh with him and every smile and touch, no matter how minimal, felt like a punch in Jake's stomach. He hated that twit.

Though Sam (along with the rest of the pack) didn't agree with Jake's decision stay away from Izz, he respected it and allowed him the chance to keep an eye on her, even if it was from afar. Jake, Embry and Jared did runs together, taking the area from the treaty line to the edge of Forks while Sam and Paul took from the treaty line to the edge of LaPush.

Most nights Jake could pick up Izz's scent about a mile before he got to her house. This time he was hit with the scent of smoke as soon as he crossed the treaty line; not uncommon due to the cold weather, many, like his dad preferred chimneys to electric heaters, but the smell was too strong, it was outside. _A bonfire?_

"_To close to town to be campers" _Embry thought

"_Probably someone doing it in their backyard"_ Jared suggested

"_People's backyards are woods around here. They can attract bloodsuckers"_

"_They don't usually get so close to town, but we should still go keep an eye"_ Embry suggested

As they got closer, the faint sound of music got louder and louder. When Izz's scent hit him, way sooner than it should've, Jake's heart dropped. Why would she be outside? He'd asked her time and time again to stay out of the woods, especially at night.

"_Maybe she's in the garage with her brother"_ Embry suggested

"_Not unless the garage door's open" _Jared argued _"The scent's too strong. She's definitely outside"_

Jake listened closely, trying to pick up sounds that would suggest she was indeed working in the garage with D, but there was nothing. He quickly realized he could close in on a certain sound, her voice, she was outside and she wasn't alone, she was with Lala.

"_What the hell are they doing?"_

"_Bonfire, music, girls talking"_ Jared stated _"Sounds like a campout to me"_

Jake grunted in frustration. This girl was gonna drive him nuts, was driving him nuts.

"_She should know better than that"_ Embry sighed

"_Her scent is too strong to be out here" _

"_Only to you"_ Jared snickered

"_What's that suppose to mean?"_

"_That you should stop being a jerk-off and accept that you've imprinted, dickhead_!" Paul laughed.

From his thoughts Jake could pinpoint Paul was just past the caves off First Beach. Too bad he wasn't close enough to punch.

"_Yeah, like you could, mister beta"_ Paul snorted

"_Enough!"_ Sam's voice boomed. He was just outside Emily's house _"Paul, make a loop around the pier. The rest of you, go keep a close eye on the girls. But don't get too close, you don't wanna let Lala see you or Izz think you're spying"_

"_Will do" _Embry said as the guys took off at full speed.

Sleeping with her window open, hanging out in the woods at night, she either had a death wish, wanted to drive him insane, or both. They were gonna have to have a long talk.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

The trip to San Diego had to be postponed till Spring Break, but there was nothing stopping them from having a campout. Camp had never interested Izz or her brothers, Ma was not the outdoorsy type and there wasn't anywhere to camp out in around San Diego. There was not much fun in camping out in the backyard when the sprinklers came on at midnight, sensor light turned on everytime you moved and palms were the only trees around.

Living in Forks was like living in the middle of the woods, minus the like. It was perfect for a campout, even if it was in the backyard. Everyone had talked about doing one during the summer, but after Billy gave them an hour lecture about how dangerous it was, they never did. But there was no one to stop them anymore. Originally the plan was meant for it to be a group thing, but Quil got grounded for fighting, Seth was dragged to his aunt's house for the weekend, Mark got a date with his future wife, or so he claimed, and since she couldn't go out without her younger sister, Andy got dragged along. At the end it was just Izz and Lala. In a way it turned out better, it meant their favorite 'crying' songs, smores with plenty of chocolate, and a heart to heart that meant talking mad smack about the boys that made them cry in the first place.

The girls allowed D to help them build the fire, only cause they didn't wanna set the house and half the woods on fire, but they set their own tents, and got everything else ready themselves.

Lala had cried over Chase plenty of times, and even though she missed him, it was time to move on. Of course Izzy knew Seth had a lot to do with it, though Lala denied it profusely. Funniest thing was that the only excuse she had for not dating Seth was their year and half age difference, that would change soon, Izzy was sure of it. Lala would get over the age issue in due time, but for the moment she had reached that stage in the breakup where all mementos were turned to ashes, as the relationship had. Izzy and Lala sung (wailed) along to Avril Lavigne's 'Slipped Away' as they tossed pictures and letters in the fire. They had just finished, tears in their eyes, when D walked up.

"**Is this the famous man-hating ritual where you burn everything but the guy?"** D smiled

"**Yup"** Lala smiled mildly as she nodded.

"**I wouldn't get too close to the fire if I were you"** Izzy joked "**We might just make you the sacrificial offering to finish off our ceremony"**

"**Well noted"** he said in false fear as he took a giant step back, then laughed **"Before I leave I feel I should give you some brotherly advice" **he said as Izzy and Lala lowered their gaze at him, wondering just what brotherly advice he felt was necessary or even appropriate. As they suspected, he had no clue and looked around, trying to come up with something. He finally gave up and blurted out whatever came to mind **"Everything happens for a reason? Oh, I know, what doesn't kill one makes you stronger" **the girls just stared **"Oh, oh! I got it! There are plenty of fish in the sea"**

Izzy and Lala looked at each other and burst out in laughter.

"**Just get outta here" **Izzy laughed**  
**

"**Gladly" **he sighed. He took a few steps and turned back** "Stay in the backyard, ok?"**

"**Promise" **Izzy and Lala chorused

"**And holler if you hear or see anything or anyone suspicious"**

"**I can handle myself, thank you very much" **Izzy answered

"**Oh, I know" **he smiled **"But if there's gonna be any ass kicking, I wanna be a part of it"**

He winked at the laughing girls and ran back to his apartment, formerly known as their garage. The girls made smores as they sung at the top of their lungs. It was surprising their wailing didn't attract all the wildlife. They were discussing usual girl stuff, clothes, shoes, books they were reading, their spring break trip to San Diego and things were going good, that was until No Doubt's 'Don't Speak' came on.

Izzy subconsciously rubbed the little J charm in her bracelet as she always did when she heard that song. She was crying before she realized it.

"**You miss him, don't you?"**

"**So much"** she admitted **"There are good days when I'm ok, there are days I'm pissed and I say 'fuck it, I'm not gonna let it get to me' and I **_**pretend**_** I'm ok, and then there are days I cry myself to sleep"**

Lala sighed** "I know all too well what you mean"**

"**There are times I hurt so bad it pisses me off and I wanna go punch him in the nose and tell him off" **she said with anger yet tears ran down her face** "And you know why I don't? Two reasons. One, cause I know the moment I look into those eyes, all that anger and pain and everything else I've been feeling will melt away and all I'll wanna do is hug him and kiss him. And two, I'm afraid. I'm afraid he'll tell me to go away. I won't be able to handle that, Lala. One thing is feeling it, knowing it, another is having him tell me he don't want me"**

"**Do you love him?"**

"**With all my heart" **she finally said out loud. For the first time she said it out loud** "Somehow, somewhere along the way I fell madly, deeply, irrevocably in love with Jacob Black"**

"**Have you told him?"**

"**What for?" **she sobbed** "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because I'm not Bella Swan"**

"**It matter, Izz" **Lala argued** "He should know it. It would be stupid to miss out on what could possibly be the love of your live only because you didn't speak up"**

"**Come on!" **she scuffed** "Don't you think he knows by now?"**

"**Please!" **Lala rolled her eyes** "You got brothers; you know better than I do how incredibly oblivious teenage boys can be, **_**especially**_** when it comes to girls" **she jerked her hands dramatically** "I think he knows you love him, but I doubt he know how in love you are" **Izzy cried uncontrollably. It terrified her to tell him. If he didn't care, if it didn't matter to him, it would kill her. Lala looked at her and started tearing up** "He should know" **she insisted** "He should know how much it hurt you when he picked her over you. He should know what a mess you where the day left the garage. He should know the times you've cried over him. He should know about all the nights you cried yourself to sleep because you missed him so bad. He should know you're in love with him. And he should hear it all from you" **she stated** "But if you won't tell him… I will" **

Izzy looked at her friend in horror. But she was right. Jake should know.

"**I'll tell him**" she nodded in a whisper **"But it won't change anything"**

"**You don't know that"**

"**I do"** she nodded again **"He always picks her" **she whispered **"He ruined our first kiss because of her" **shewept **"They day she went missing in the woods? We were hanging out and he takes off to go look for her" **she added** "And yeah, I know how selfish and childish and incredibly petty it sounds, but it made me mad. It made me jealous that he picked her over me. And it's so stupid cause if it would've been anyone else out there, I wouldn't have cared, I probably would've been out in the woods searching with him. But it just happened to be her" **she shook her head** "And just when I thought things were going great…"** she trailed off, thinking of how wrong she was **"I don't get it"** she admitted **"When we're together, when he holds my hand, when he hugs me, when he holds me, when he kisses me, it's just us, everyone disappears and he's mine, just mine….but then Bella shows up and off he goes" **she cried, everything blurry from the tears that wouldn't stop **"If I were a bitch, I were mean and conceited and plaid with guy's emotions, I would understand it was karma at its best, but I'm not, so why is this happening to me? What did I do wrong? Why aren't I enough? Why am I not good enough for him, Lala?"**

Just as Lala rushed over to hug her, a deafening, earsplitting howl boomed and echoed throughout the woods, sounding like it was right behind them. Izzy didn't have time to figure out if it was a warning from the pack, if they had been listening or if it was actual wild wolves and not werewolves. If there was ever an 'act now, ask questions later' moment, it was then and there, she took Lala's hand and ran like hell.

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs on Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	18. Chapter 18

After the terrifying howling incident, Izzy and Lala spent the rest of the weekend indoors. They talked, they cried, they baked brownies, which the guys scarfed down in 2.3 seconds, they watched movies, they danced like dorks to funky songs they would never hear in public, and Lala even tried some kickboxing with D and Izzy, but let's just say her eye-hand coordination needed a lot of work (D's comment had been she had none). It was a nice weekend but Jake remained in the back of Izzy's head the entire time, she was worried about him. She didn't hear from him all weekend, of course it could've been he has too busy, but her gut was telling her different.

Come Monday morning, Izzy had decided she was gonna take the bull by its horns. She would go down to LaPush, find out the real reason for Jake's distance and if she didn't pass out beforehand, confess she was in love with him. The tricky part was getting a hold of him. She knew better than to call him, he would only make up something and hide, like he had been for the past 2 weeks. She had to catch him by surprise, which meant she had to show up at a time he would never expect her to, like during school time.

Izzy, Lala and Andy quickly cooked up a plan. Wearing a dress was part of that plan, so Izzy wore her grey sweater mini-dress and matching knee-high furry boots and ran down the stairs and out to D's apartment as Andy and Lala finished getting ready.

"**D, it's me" **she said while knocking **"I need a favor"**

"**What's up?" **he mumbled, opening in the door in his boxers, still half asleep.

"**Can I borrow your car?"**

"**My car?"** he asked, his mind still not fully on

"**Yeah" **she nodded "**You see, normally Andy goes to school with Mark but Mark is giving his girl a ride and Andy doesn't wanna be the third wheel, he would ride with me but I got Lala and then I'm wearing this cute dre…"**

"**Just take it"** he cut her off as she knew he would **"You got a spare key, right?"**

"**Thanks"** she kissed him on the cheek **"And there's a spare key to my bike is the kitchen drawer if you need it"**

Andy and Lala were ready and waiting for her when she ran back in. Her smile was enough for them to know the plan was running smoothly. As planned, Izzy threw her bag in the trunk and tossed the keys to Andy. With Lala in the back and Izzy riding shotgun, Andy took off to LaPush. She had him stop about a block from Jake's house; he would be able to pick up a car going straight to his house in an instant.

"**Shouldn't you make sure he's here first?"** Andy asked worriedly **"How will you get back if he's not?"**

"**It's ok" **she assured **"If he's not, I'll get a ride from one of the guys" **_A piggy-back ride._

"**Good luck"** Lala smiled as she got in the front seat.

Izzy took a deep breath as Andy and Lala rode off, she then took the hardest step, the first one. As she got closer to the red barn-style house that was the Black's, her eyes watered, her mind flooding with memories of the good times they'd had. It had been almost 2 months since she'd stepped foot there, returning was bittersweet. Rather than heading directly to the front door, Izzy walked back to the garage. She stood at the door and smiled, the smell of gasoline and dirt lingered, the Rabbit they'd worked so hard on was all done, the stool he kept for her but she never used was still there, and there were tools and six packs of warm sodas all over the place. It was the last place you would expect to find a girl at but she loved it there. Before she knew it, she was inside, strolling through, gently gliding her fingers over the tools as if they were precious objects. In a sense, they were to her, they brought so many memories.

"**What are you doing here?"** his husky voice asked, making her jump and nearly causing her a heart attack.

She spun around and saw him standing in the doorway. "**Jake"** she whispered. _Wow! _He looked so different. He was wearing nothing but cutoff shorts, displaying every last bit of his chiseled, buffer, incredibly yummy body. Short, black spikes had taken the place of his long locks, he was sporting the pack tattoo on his right bicep, and every last bit of the kid cuteness was gone, looking years older, he was an unbelievably gorgeous man in every sense of the term.

"**Aren't you supposed to be in school?"** he asked, bringing her out of her daze;

He hadn't moved from the front door, his face was cold and hard, nothing like the Jake she knew, the Jake she loved. She couldn't be quite sure of the reason for his attitude but it was pissing her off.

"**I wanted to see you" **she answered as coldly as he was acting **"To actually speak to you"** she crossed her arms across her chest **"Apparently the only way I can do that is by not giving you time to make up stupid excuses"**

"**The excuses might be stupid"** he said, walking in, leaning on the hood of the car, making sure to keep distance from her **"But the reason behind them isn't" **

Izzy lost her cool **"Then give it to me"** she fanned her hands in the universal 'come on' gesture **"If you don't wanna talk to me, if you don't want me around anymore, fine! But have some balls and tell me straight out, don't hide behind lame-ass excuses and treat me like I'm stupid!"** by then her hands were moving with the same anger she was feeling **"So go ahead, Jacob! Tell me to go away! Tell me to stay away! Let's get this over with! Say it and I promise you, you'll never hear from me again!"**

Suddenly Jake was no longer across the garage but toe to toe with her, looking down at her, his face back to face she had always loved, sweet and gentle.

"**That's not what I want"**

"**Then what do you want, Jake?"** she exhaled **"Explain it to me because I don't understand"**

She gently placed her hand on his stomach and he took a giant leap back, instantly leaving nothing but air to touch. He saw the look on her face and frowned, burying his brows as he was known to do.

"**I don't trust myself around you"** he stated

"**That's bullshit, Jacob"** she shook her head **"You have a lot more control than you think. All that trembling you do, that's your body giving you a heads up. You would never hurt me! I've hung out with the pack plenty of times, they would never hurt me and neither would you, so don't use that as an excuse" **

"**That's not what I meant"**

"**For god's sakes, what the hell do you mean? Stop using riddles and just say it, spell it out for me, will ya?"**

She instantly felt a rare sensation of both heat and cold, the warmth of his burning body and the chill of the crisp air as he leaped to sit her on the work bench, her legs wrapped around his torso as he held her against his body. She placed her hand on his sides as he cupped her face and held it up to his. His dreamy black eyes pierced her sole as they looked deep into hers, their noses touching, their breaths becoming one.

"**I can't stay away" **

"**Then don't push me away"** she whispered back

His lips claimed hers and she nearly fainted. His lips were blazing hot though incredibly soft and plump. There was a passion and desire in his kiss she had never felt before yet it was also obvious he was trying his best to keep it under control. His lips stopped moving before hers and when she opened her eyes she was lightheaded, outta breath and her heart threatened to come out of her chest.

"**This is precisely what'll happen if I get too close to you"**

"**And the problem is?"** she smiled

He kissed her again, and though she was prepared, it still made her swoon, especially because he wasn't holding back as much anymore. She very soon found out what the problem was, the big problem was poking at her very core and making it very hard to think straight.

"**Why?"** he asked as he trailed kisses on the side of her neck

"**Why what?"**

"**Why do you keep coming back even though I don't deserve you?"**

"**You still don't know?"** she asked between kisses

He stopped kissing and took her face again **"Tell me" **he asked in a voice that made her heart skip a beat** "I wanna hear you say it"**

She took a deep breath. _It's now or never._ **"I love you, Jacob. I am completely, head over heels, romance novel, in love with you. That's why"**

He kissed her with so much force and passion, she ended up pinned against the wooden wall, and she loved every instant of it. The kissing went on and on and it only got steamier. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his slick tongue wrestled for dominance she was more than willing to yield. He placed his hands on her bare thighs and quickly glided them up, bringing her dress up with them as he grabbed her ass and pulled her against him. Her dress ended up around her waist as he maneuvered under it, unclasping the front hook of her bra in no time. She gasped into his mouth as he cupped her bare breast with one hand and gently stroked her nipple with the other.

She wanted him. She wanted every last bit of him and he could feel it just as she felt how much he wanted her. The look in Jake's eye made it evident the animal in him was taking over and Izzy wasn't too sure she minded. One of Jake's hands began to travel south and she knew where it was headed, her stomach tightened in anticipation. He rubbed his fingers on the outside of her panties, obviously testing her reaction, when he saw there was no objection, he made the panties disappear. Gently he slid a scorching finger insider her, causing her to bite his lower lip. The wolf in him took over completely, giving her a mischievous smile as he slid a second finger and worked her nub, making her moan uncontrollably until she felt like an explosion went off inside her, every last bit of her body tingling with sheer bliss. Her body was trembling and her legs felt like jello but she used them to pull his shorts down. The moment he noticed, he took a small step back.

"**Are you sure?"** All she could do was nod **"I don't wanna hurt you"**

"**You won't" **she breathed

He smiled, nibbled on her lower lip and then kissed her, picking her up with one arm, covering her bare bootie with said arm. She locked her feet around his waist, just in case.

"**Close your eyes"** he whispered in her ear

She did as told, but he should've told her to hold her breath as well. By the wind and sudden chill, he was running, but Jake ran way faster than Jared did, unless he'd been holding back to make sure Izzy didn't freak too much. Jake ran so fast, it made it difficult for her to breathe; she had to hide her face in the nook of his neck. In one second, she went from being carried through the woods at the speed of light, to laying on a soft, fluffy surface. It was damp, but that was the last thing she was gonna worry about.

When she opened her eyes, Jake was hovering over her with the sweet, breathtaking smile she hadn't seen in months. She smiled back before kissing those tempting luscious lips of his.

"**Where are we?"** she asked, taking in their beautiful surroundings.

The soft yet damp ground she was on was grass, green thick and a couple of inches tall, completely surrounding the area, which was only about 100 feet squared. For the first time since moving to Forks, Izzy didn't see trees, shocking, but most amazing of all, the clouds seemed so close, she felt if she stretched her arm, she could touch them. _Are we still in Forks?_

"**It's a plateau about twenty miles north of town"** he smiled **"I found it the night after I phased"**

"**It's amazing" **she breathed, taking it all in, then realized something and snapped her head his way** "Wait, 20 mi…."**

His blazing lips cut her short, and once again she was consumed by the wonder that was his touch. She couldn't help but touch his new and improved 2.0 body, and was amazed by the contrast, his muscles so hard and firm yet his skin so soft and velvety. He caressed her body as he slid his hands up her thighs and up her sides, removing her dress completely. He had already unfastened her bra and pulverized her panties back in the garage, which only meant one thing, with the exception of her boots, she was, butt naked, outside, in plain daylight. _I can't believe I'm doing this!_

He sat back on his knees and bit his lower lip as his eyes slowly scanned her from head to toe. Part of her was dying of embarrassment and wanted to run for cover, but a bigger part of her felt exhilarated and enjoyed how much he seemed to enjoy the view.

"**Now **_**this**_** is amazing"** he breathed

"**You're turn"** she smiled shyly as she eyed his shorts.

A low growl escaped his chest as he kissed her. He removed his shorts without her noticing, but she definitely noticed what had been under them. Jake was _huge!_ She doubted she could fit such a thing, but after feeling the amazing things his fingers could do, she was sure willing to try. She opened her legs, allowing him to get closer, and giving him access.

Jake was rock-hard and ready for action, the moment he took position, the tip of his throbbing erection slipped inside her, stroking the sensitive nub at her core, causing her to gasp. He kissed, nibbled and licked every part of her neck and chest, never moving his lower half. He teased her breasts with his searing tongue and every last bit of her body sizzled as much as his skin. She rotated her hips causing him to nip her pink pea-sized nipple as he growled. It felt so good she did it again, and again. She was moaning and he was too, grunting and growling as much. Her stomach began to tightened and he felt it too, just as she was about to burst, he thrusted, entering her completely, and though it hurt like hell, the pleasure more than made up for it.

He allowed her to come off her high and get adjusted to him before he slowly and gently began the thrusts . She got completely lost in the moment of ecstasy. Before she knew it, their kissing was so passionate, their lips would be swollen for sure, or at least hers would, her nails were dug in his back and she was working her hips just as much as he was. He took her to the point of delight multiple times before reaching it himself. A boisterous howl erupted from his chest as his body was overtaken by an orgasmic spasm. He collapsed on the grass and pulled her on top of him, running his fingers through her hair and kissing the top of her head as she rested it on his chest. Neither spoke for several minutes, they couldn't, they were too busy trying to catch their breaths. She was beginning to doze off when his voice woke her.

"**That was amazing"** he sighed **"By far, the best experience of my life"**

She got up on her elbows to face him **"Every girl wants her first time to be special, and I got that. It was crazy, impulsive, romantic and as special as it could ever be"** she smiled **"And the fact that it was with you, made it perfect"**

Suddenly he was sitting up, her on top on his lap, her legs wrapped around his torso. _I gotta get used to these rapid movements!_ She ran her hand down his arm and noticed he was wet. Everything was wet. She looked around, it was raining, probably had been for quite some time cause everything was soaked, including them and their clothes, which were laying a few feet away. He turned her face to him, placing soaked strands of hair behind her ears. For a moment it was same old Jake, sweet, loving, adorable and a bit shy masked by slight cockiness.

"**I love you, Izz"**

Her smiled couldn't have gotten any wider and on the inside, she was making cartwheels. **"I love you too" **she answered **"Been loving you"**

"**Me too" **he smiled** "Just didn't wanna admit it to myself"**

"**So stubborn" **she chuckled while shaking her head.

The kiss they shared was short and sweet but it was obvious Jake's body reacted to the slightest touch. _Oh lordie! I'm not gonna be able to walk after this! _The kissing was abruptly stopped and Izzy buried her brows in confusion as Jake began to sniff the air, his face back to 'new and in-charge' Jake. Once again with the too fast movements, instantly she was on her feet.

"**You're bleeding"** he said, frantically inspecting her. She almost laughed out loud.

"**Um"** she laughed **"It kinda tends to happen your first time, Jake. I'm ok"**

"**Oh!' **he straightened up, his face priceless **"We need to get you something"**

"**Yeah" **she nodded **"Panties and a dryer for my clothes"**

There was still a lot they needed to talk about but he had runs to do and she had to get back to school before they began looking for her. He promised to drop by her house the moment he had free time. But getting dry and ready to head back to school was a whole ordeal. He was willing to run to her house and get her dry clothes, but she couldn't show up with different clothes than the ones she left with, that was out, Billy and Quil Sr. were at his house, another no go, after shooting down a few more ideas, they ended up going to Emily's house. Luckily for them she was home alone and was more than happy to help. Jake borrowed some of Sam's shorts and Izzy sat around in Emily's robe while she threw her dress in the dryer. Jake ran out, claiming he had to check in with the pack, but returned handing Izzy some panties, tag still attached.

"**Don't ask"** he said after the look she gave him.

Dry and covered up, she used Emily's makeup to look the way she had when she'd been dropped off in LaPush, minus one very important thing. Jake threw on a t-shirt, and with the promise to return on Friday, to help Emily bake for a bake sale, Izzy hopped on Jake's back and off they were to Forks High.

They arrived in no-time and he put her down just outside the school and walked her over to the edge of campus. The bell had just rung for lunch, and with the sun shining for what would probably be a minute, kids were outside enjoying it. Among those kids, gathered at a lunch bench, were her brothers, Lala and Chris. Mark was too busy with his girl to notice them, Lala and Andy smiled, Andy giving Jake a head nod in greeting, and if looks could kill, Jake and Chris would've dropped dead.

"**I'll go from here"** she said kissing his cheek. Didn't want Jake killing Chris.

"**Wait!"** he said grabbing her arm and turning her around to him. He had his 'I need to say something' look. He sighed and his expression softened **"Becoming a werewolf heightened all the senses and feelings I had before"** he stated **"Jealousy being one of those"**

"**Chris" **she nodded. He nodded. **"Look Jake, I'm not one of those girls who changes her entire world for a guy. I will still be friends with Chris, keyword being **_**friends**_**. But when I'm with a guy, I'm all his"**

"**Ok" **he smiled** "You're all mine"**

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, deeply intensely and amazingly. With her still in a daze, he took her hand and towed her across the lot. It took her a moment to realize her he was gonna take her to the bench, no matter who was there, or _because_ of who was there. Everyone stared as this huge, gorgeous hunk walked her, including the bench over, which was filled with seniors, including Bella, who he never once looked at as he sat Izzy, kissed her and said hello and goodbye to Lala and her brothers. Lala instantly hounded her with a million and one questions but Izzy stared at Jake as he ran off, a huge smile on her face. _This is the best day ever!_

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs on Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	19. Chapter 19

Chris didn't mention Jake, acted as if the incident never happened. He was his still his smiling, flirty self, but his hands were no longer as friendly. There was no more arm around her shoulders, no hand on her waist when he walked her to class, no texts between classes and no visits or phone calls afterschool. But Monday did happen, and it had been amazing. The change in Izzy had been impossible to go unnoticed. As far as Ma, Mark and D were concerned, it was due to her peacemaking with Jake, but Lala and Andy knew the truth. Andy assumed it but Lala got every last detail from Izzy, after hounding her non-stop for hours.

"**Did you jiggle the doo-hickey?"** she asked constantly.

Izzy had no idea what that meant, nor did she really wanna know, but finally got fed up and answered her.

"**A lot of things were jiggled, so Imma have to say, yes"**

Let's just say no homework was done that afternoon. Jake went m.i.a. for the rest of day, but the howling at night told her there was a good reason for it. She had been right. Jake called her first thing in the morning and told her all about the 'redheaded bloodsucker' they had been chasing all night, way past the Canadian border. He was gonna catch some z's and head out again. She wasn't surprised when she didn't hear from him the rest of the day.

Wednesday went on as normal as any other school day. Lunch consisted of Mark and his current girl making googley eyes at each other, Andy, Chris and some friends talked cars and sports, and Izzy and Lala had their usual chatter. Only difference from other times was the girl's excitement over their upcoming trip.

Normal, however, went out the window right after lunch. Lala, Chris and Izz were walking down the hall to 5th period when she heard her name called by the last person she ever expected, Bella Swan. Lala pulled Chris a few steps from Izzy, making sure to stay within hearing distance. Izzy leaned against the lockers as she waited for Bella to walk over. For a second Bella stood silent and Izzy couldn't help giving her the 'what do you want?' look.

"**I just wanted to… I mean… well…."**

"**I gotta get to class, you know?"** Izzy grumbled, unable to hide her annoyance. Couldn't the brat get one sentence out without mumbling like an idiot?

"**I haven't been able to get a hold of Jake in weeks now"** she finally got out **"I just want make sure he's ok"**

"**You saw him yourself day before yesterday. He's fine"**

"**Look, Izzy"** she blinked about a million times **"I know you and Jake are together now, but that doesn't mean we can't still be friends"**

"**By we, you mean you and him, right? Cause you and I have never been friends"**

"**And I don't know why"**

Izzy scuffed. _Is this chick for real?_ **"I'm not Jake, I don't like people that talk to me only when it's convenient for them. Let's keep it real, Bella, if it wasn't for the fact that Edward took off, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now; you would still be happily ignoring everyone"**

"**So that's what Jake's doing to me? Ignoring me because he has a girlfriend?"**

"**Don't blame it on me!" **Izzy snapped** "Sorry to break this to you, hun, but his life doesn't revolve around Bella Swan anymore. Have you ever stop to think that he doesn't answer you calls cause he don't wanna talk to you? Cause he has better things to do? Cause he got tired of playing court jester to amuse you? Or cause he finally realized what everyone has been telling him all along is true?"  
**

"**And what exactly is that?"**

" **Really?" **Izzy chuckled. _How can someone be some self-involved? _**"That your definition of friendship is being a selfish, whiny little brat that is well aware of the feelings her so-called best friend has for her, and milks them for all they're worth cause she can't get over being dumped, and needs him as a crutch" **Bella's eyes widened in shock, obviously not used to people throwing truth in her face** "Why do you look so shocked? Don't act like this is all news to you. You know damn well that the only reason you're trying to hold on to Jake with nail and tooth is because he's been the only one sweet enough to forgive your 'I have a hot boyfriend and he's all I need' attitude and accepted you back with open arms. But we both know that if Edward were to return tomorrow, you would instantly go back to kissing the ground he walks on, school would once again be a building full of people you ignore, and Jake would go back to being the sweet kid who occasionally came over to watch sports at your house and you spend months without so much as a texting him to see how he's doing"**

As usual, Bella couldn't figure out what to say. She opened and closed her mouths plenty of times but sad nothing, her eyes watery as if she wanted to cry and or was about to.

"**So why doesn't he pick up the phone and tell me himself"**

"**Maybe he's afraid you'll go back to zombie mode"** Lala answered, obviously forgetting she wasn't supposed to be listening. Izzy noticed Chris had left at some point "**You're not going to, are you?"**

"**Lala!" **Izzy scolded.

"**What?"** she shrugged **"We've all gotten our heart broken" **she gave Izzy a meaningful look **"But that's no reason to go 'night of the living dead' over it, you cry till you get mad, you destroy some on his stuff and you move on" **she rolled her eyes** "Then again most girls don't make their entire lives about a guy"**

The bell rang, the classroom doors shut loudly, leaving the three girls all alone in the hallway, an eerie and awkward silence lingering. Just as Izzy was gonna say something, Mr. Urlacher stepped outside.

"**Is there a problem here, ladies?"**

"**Just heading to class" **Lala smiled as she began to walk away, turning to wiggle her thumbs at Izzy, silently signaling she would be texting her.

"**Small, personal, girl issue**" Izzy stated as her history teacher looked at her and Bella with a 'get going' face.

"**Oh"** he winced, as most males usually do when they're weirded out by 'girl issues' **"Takes a few minutes" **he hurriedly tried to get away **"Let me know if you need a pass to the nurse's office"**

Izzy waited till the door closed behind him before turning to Bella** "Maybe not the best way to put things, but Lala was right. You never make your entire world about a guy, no matter how much you love him, it's not healthy. You might wanna remember that for your next relationship"** Bella was gonna say something but Izzy placed her index finger up, silencing her **"But getting back to topic. In no way, shape or form, do I speak for Jake, nor would I ever dream of doing so. Do I know the reason for his cold shoulder, yeah, will I tell you, hell no. And it's not cause I don't like you, which I don't, but because I would never betray his trust that way. So if you wanna find out his reason, ask him yourself"**

Bella stared with glassy eyes as Izzy turned around and walked into class.

Mr. Urlacher intentionally looked away as Izzy waltzed into class and took her seat. Everyone glanced her way but Chris turned to her. "Everything ok?"he worded, she nodded and turned her attention to the front of the class to avoid further questions.

Izzy couldn't wipe the smile of her face. Telling Bella off was awesome, not as cool as it would've been to punch her in the nose, but definitely great. She knew Jake might not agree with her, she might even have an argument with him when she told him all about it, but she would do it all over again in a heartbeat, a fight would be a small price to pay for that type of enjoyment.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Jake's life had been completely consumed by the hunt for vampires. The pack had taken down plenty of nomads who'd made the mistake of crossing their territory, not a one had gotten away, not even the bloodsucker with dreads they had found in the meadow, with Bella, about to attack her. Just another danger she placed herself in due to her insistence of being part of the Cullen clan, mingling with bloodsuckers only to have them turn on her. She had clearly been having a conversation with it; the pack picked up on it instantly and rushed to make sure she was ok, of course she wasn't. About to die, in a certain way due to _him_, and was using what she thought were her last words to profess her love for a leech. It infuriated Jake, but it gave him that much momentum for the kill he enjoyed a bit too much and yet another reason why he wasn't talking to Bella.

But Jake had bigger problems. A certain redheaded bloodsucker had appeared. She was crazy fast, had an uncanny ability to get away, and for whatever reason, kept returning no matter how far away they chased her. The bloodsucker certainly had a reason to return, the pack just needed to find out what it was. In the meantime, Sam made sure someone was on patrol at all times, which meant apart from taking a few hours to sleep here and there, they guys were always on patrol.

Paul didn't have anyone to nag him over his time, so he had no problem with the rounds, but Embry was constantly grounded. His mom had to be kept outta the loop and thought he was going through a rebellious stage, sneaking out all the time and cutting school. Everyone felt sorry for him, the guys even asked Sam to allow him to come clean, but Embry claimed the secret was too important and just sat back and took his mom's rage. Sam lived with Emily; he spent every free second with her, especially since her house was the unofficial headquarters for the pack, and though it didn't make up for his constant absence, she was very understanding. Jared had Kim, who as an imprintee knew everything, he tried spending time with her whenever he could but with her school and her strict parents, it wasn't always simple to do. Since Jake's dad was the unofficial chief of the tribe, he knew everything, Jake had nothing to worry about at home, but when it came to Izz, he could definitely understand Jared.

Izz was at school during the day, though he was tempted to kidnap her sometimes, he couldn't and wouldn't get her in trouble and or mess with her education. He would drop by for a quick kiss in the afternoons, but she was usually with Lala and or her brothers and it would be hard to explain why he showed up unannounced and half-naked. And though he was ready to keel over from exhaustion by the time he was done with rounds, he would gladly put off sleep for a while longer to see her, but it was always so late, she was fast asleep.

It had been less than three days since the last time he'd seen Izz, but it seemed like an eternity, something that seemed funny to him since he didn't feel quite the same about Bella, and he hadn't seen her in over 2 weeks. The only explanation he could come up with was that his anger and disappointment made it easier to stay away.

"_Yeah, keep telling yourself that, bro"_ Embry's laughter came into his head.

"_Oh shut up!"_ Jake snapped _"Hate having you all in my head!"_

"_Get used to it" _Jared laughed

"_Or learn to hide your thoughts better"_ Sam added _"But take it from me, that takes time and it doesn't always work"_

"_You got that right!" _Jared laughed_ "Sometimes the more you try to hide your thoughts, the more clearly you portray them"_

"_Like when you try to hide your little mountain climbing adventure with Izz" _Paul snickered

Jake began to zone in on Paul's thoughts to see where he was at to give him a few things, or do some to him. Paul laughed tauntingly; Jared and Embry laughed in amusement and Sam's thoughts instantly went into Alpha mode.

"_Alright, alright"_ Sam's 'stop it, kids' voice came through _"I want all of us to do some rounds in the morning, it seems the redhead is using that time to get close. Paul and Embry, go home and rest up, Jake, you too, you've been doing rounds all day, Jared and I will keep watch during the night. We'll howl if anything changes"_

Everyone agreed. Paul and Embry must've been close to home cause they phased out almost instantly. Sam's thoughts showed him about a mile west from Jake but suddenly Jared's thoughts became crystal clear to Jake, he was just behind Izz's house.

"_She just turned her lights off"_ Jared noted _"Hurry and you'll catch her still awake"_

"_Thanks, Jare" _

Jake was at her house, phased, dangling off the roof, crouched outside her window and overpowered by her scent in a flash. He'd seen her through that window plenty of times, but even if he hadn't, he would instantly know which window was hers by the sweet aroma of honeysuckle that drove him crazy. The fact that she kept her window open, no matter how many times he had asked her not to, made her scent that much stronger. But he had to admit, it was the one time he was glad for her stubbornness, it would make getting inside, effortless.

He'd never been inside her room, when he stuck his head inside, he was taken aback by a few things, but the most important, her bed was right under the window. _No wonder her scent is so strong, she's practically outside!_ In one swift movement, he jumped over her bed, his body clearing it by only millimeters, and landed on the balls of his feet, making a low thud as his weight hit the floor. Thought the noise wasn't loud, it was enough to wake Izz, she sat up and was about to scream when Jake leaped over to her and silenced her scream with a kiss. He could've well placed his hand over her mouth, but that would've been no fun.

Only a small gasp escaped her, the scream stopping the moment his lips touched hers. She immediately began to kiss him back, placing her arms around his neck, pulling him close as she lay back down. Jake was more than happy to let her lead him. They enjoyed several minutes of kissing as he hovered over her, making sure not to crush her. Finally coming up for air, she giggled.

"**So? Couldn't sleep and decided to come gimme a heart attack?" **

"**Sorry about that"** he smiled as she pulled him to lie next to her **"Just got off rounds and I wanted to come say goodnight"**

"**I like this kind of goodnight"** she smiled, giving him a kiss, which she cut short, jumping off the bed. Jake stared in confusion as she quickly ran to her door; she locked it **"Just in case" **she smiled as she tiptoed back to bed. Izz had no make-up on, her usually straightened hair was curly and she was wearing some funky colorful pajamas that covered most of her up, but she looked beautiful. She noticed him looking at her sushi-themed lime green capris and salmon tank top and scrunged up her nose **"Gift from D"** she explained **"I thought they were his way of being silly, but now I'm starting to think he knew a certain hottie would be visiting me during late hours of the night"**

"**What do you mean?"**

"**Well" **she smiled, sitting legs crossed on the bed** "When I wore the ice-cream ones, you dropped by that night" **

"**The night I phased" **he nodded. He'd been so out of it that night, he couldn't remember well all the minor details.

"**And today I decide to wear these" **she said, pulling her tank** "And here you are"**

"**I think you look adorable"** he smiled, causing her to narrow her gaze in disbelieve **"And you match your room"** he said looking around at the second thing that had caught his attention. Her room was girly, really, really, girly. Top half of the walls were painted sage green, lower wooden panels were white, white wooden desk, bookcase and nightstands and white lamps with green and pink jewels. The wooden floor had a pink rug under the bed; the bedding was yellow with matching pink and green pillows and matching ottomans in the same colors were at the end of the bed. Even her laptop was pink. The only non-girly thing he could see was the huge plasma tv hanging above the desk** "I gotta say, not what I was expecting"**

"**Were you expecting black walls, Harley posters and lots of leather?" **she laughed

"**Maybe"** He kinda was.

"**Ma decorated"** she explained **"I like the colors, maybe a tad bit darker tones but I would've definitely gone with black instead of white"**

"**I knew black was more your style"**

She laughed and snuggled up with him, as he was still lying on her bed. They talked about his rounds, the details of the redheaded bloodsucker they'd been chasing and argued about the position of her bed.

"**I've always had my bed by the window" **she argued** "I love to lie in bed and stare up at the moon and the stars"**

"**I promise to get you the moon and the stars, but please move your bed?"**

"**Nope**" she shook her head **"Not gonna happen"**

"**Can you at least close your window? You have no idea how strong your scent is, you're gonna lure a bloodsucker straight to you"**

"**Hmm…funny, cause only thing I've lured here is a werewolf"** she smiled **"I highly doubt a closed window would stop a vampire who's set their mind on having me as a midnight snack"** she laughed at the face he made **"But even if they do, that's what I got you for, right?" **he shook his head. _Stubborn and crazy!_ **"Wait a minute!" **she propped herself up on her elbow **"My scent? What, I stink?"**

"**On the contrary"** he laughed, kissing the crook of her neck and inhaling her sweet scent **"You smell too good. Sweet, like honeysuckle"**

Izz leaned her head back and moaned slightly as he trailed kisses up her neck and up her jaw line. She tilted her head to meet his lips and once again, they got lost in each other. Then suddenly she pulled away as he looked at her in confusion.

"**I need to talk to you"** she sighed **"Something happened at school today"** He hadn't noticed he was making a face until she smiled **"Relax, it's got nothing to do with Chris"** he smiled at the fact that she knew him well enough to know that would be his first thought **"It's about Bella"**

_That_, he wasn't expecting to hear. Bella knew well Izz disliked her due to the feelings Jake had for her, and she also knew it was precisely due to those feelings that Izz didn't act on her desire to beat her to a bloody pulp. It took a lot of guts to go precisely to her to ask about him. Izz was brutally honest and Bella learned that the hard way. Though many times he'd thought the things Izz said to Bella, he cared too much for her to throw them in her face. Embry and Quil used to complain about her behavior and constantly gave him unwanted advice but the fear of female tears and of loss of teeth kept them from opening their mouths. The pack was not shy about their dislike for Bella for her loyalty to the Cullens and her behavior towards Jake. Izz didn't lie but it reminded him of a saying his dad used, 'the truth does not offend but it sure can incommode'.

Jake assured Izz, he wasn't upset about her response. He wasn't. Maybe it was time for Bella to hear and realize her hot and cold behavior was obvious to everyone, and everyone agreed it wasn't fair to him. What bothered him about their conversation was that it was proof Bella was not gonna give up on him. She could probably keep trying to call and sooner or later she would catch up with him. Problem was, he had no idea what he was gonna say to her. If it was just the cold shoulder, her 'we will only ever be friends' speech and his relationship with Izz would be reason enough, but Bella would know better the moment he saw his new 2.0 body as Izz called it, the haircut, the tattoo and his new entourage would not go unnoticed either.

But it was not time to think about that. He had bigger things going on. He and the pack needed to rid the town of all bloodsuckers, particularly the redhead. And at the moment, he had a gorgeous, sexy girl in his arms that required his attention. A few kisses were all it took to completely erase his mind of anything that wasn't Izz. _If only everything else was that easy._

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs on Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	20. Chapter 20

Jake and Izzy ended up falling asleep, which meant he spent the night. It was really nice to not only wake up in his arms, but to open her eyes to see his pretty face inches from hers. He had been so exhausted and looked so peaceful; she couldn't bring herself to wake him. She got outta bed and ready for school as quietly as possible, then kissed his cheek and left him a note on her pillow before running off to school.

_**Morning, bed buddy!**_

_**I know how much you need to catch up on your z's so stay and sleep as much as you'd like. Andy and Mark are in school with me, D is in Shelton and Ma won't be back from the hospital till after school. There's plenty of food in the fridge if you get hungry. Make yourself at home. Talk to you later. Love, Izz :X**_

She didn't get a text from him till lunchtime.

Why didn't you kick me off your bed this morning? – JB

You looked so cute and peaceful lol besides, you can sleep in my bed anytime, preferably when Im in it ;p *Iz*ee*

Good to know :D but Sam did find it so cute and didn't remain too peaceful when I didn't show up for our morning meeting lol –JB

So sorry lol if it helps, blame it on me *Iz*ee*

Lol, yeah, he'll love that. Well, babe I gotta do some errands with my dad. Call you tonight – JB

Okey doke :X *Iz*ee*

School went on as usual and Bella did herself a favor and stayed the hell away. Izzy and Lala spent all afternoon going over the list of items and outfits they needed to pack for their San Diego spring break trip they'd be heading for on Saturday morning.

It had been surprising how easy it was to get Mr. and Mrs. Obrien's permission for the trip. Izzy was very well liked by Lala's parents and just as Lala at her house, Izzy was seen as family. Many times they had expressed how happy they were their daughter had such a good friend and grateful she had someone to help her get over the loss of her first love. In a way it seemed her parents were afraid that with Izzy and her friends gone, Lala would be lonely and slip into depression, so they'd much rather let her go than deal with a heartbroken teenage girl. Once they talked it over with Ma and Mrs. Duval, Ariel's mom and chaperone for their stay, everything was good. As a matter of fact, Mr. and Mrs. Obrien would be sending Robbie to his grandma's and they'd be taking the second honeymoon they'd longed for so long.

The trip quickly became a group event. Since D would be going to Spokane the first week of April for 16 weeks of training at the Police Academy, he was also making the trip with them, but he and Manny would be heading from there to Cancun for a 2 week, wild and crazy spring break in Mexico. It just so happened the dates coincided with some sort of skateboarding convention in Los Angeles that Andy was not gonna pass up, he was going too and he was taking Seth along. Ma was getting ready to have the house all to herself when the progress reports arrived. Mark was grounded and was forced to stay behind and volunteer at the hospital, where Ma could keep a close eye on him and make sure he wasn't having any fun.

It wasn't often the whole family got together for dinner so it was a nice treat when they did. After stuffing themselves with Chinese food, D and Mark wanted to rock-paper-scissor it to see who washed the dishes. Since it was a process they were known to draw out for hours, Andy volunteered to wash, Izzy to dry and Lala to put the dishes away. D and Mark instantly ran off to watch a movie with Ma, just in case anyone changed their mind. They were in the middle of dishes when her phone rang, Jake. Lala took over drying so she could take the call.

"**Hey, big boy"** she answered causing him to laugh

"**Hi, craziness, whatcha up to?"**

"**Washing dishes with Andy and Lala"** she smiled **"Then we're watching movies, wanna join?"** She immediately felt Lala and Andy's eyes on her.

"**Can't"** he grumbled **"Wish I could but I got rounds till dawn"**

"**Sucks"** she pouted **"I really wish you would catch that…."** Suddenly she remembered she was not alone **"**_**thing"**_ she inserted **"soon so you can relax"**

"**Forgot you're not alone, ha?"** he laughed **"And yeah I do too" **he went on without waiting for her to answer **"Sam isn't gonna let up and we're not gonna be satisfied until we do"**

"**Will you'll drop by Em's tomorrow?"**

"**Of course" **he chuckled** "I'll sleep a bit and then head over for breakfast"**

"**We'll have plenty of muffins" **she laughed

"**Alright" **he laughed** "By the way" **he said, his tone changing to that 'I gotta say something' one she knew well **"Umm…. Bella came by today"**

"**Hmm, really?" **she said in her best effort to seem indifferent **"And?"**

"**She told me everything you told her"**

"**Yeah, cause I'm the reason you're not talking to her, remember?" **she stated ironically.

"**Yeah, she mentioned that" **he answered** "It isn't and I told her that. Told her to stay away, but whatever"** he said dismissively **"So, we'll spend most of the day together tomorrow, right?"**

"**Yup" **she answered. She wanted to ask more about his conversation with Bella but it was obvious he didn't wanna talk about it and she didn't wanna nag him with stupid jealousies.

"**Alright, babe, I gotta go now. Sweet dreams" **click

When she turned around, Andy and Lala had been done with the dishes and were leaning against the counter, waiting on her, or listening to her. Izzy wasn't sure whether to get mad or not for the intrusion but so she just shook her head and ignored it.

"**He's not coming?" **Andy asked

"**What **_**thing**_** is he trying to catch?" **Lala asked before giving Izzy a chance to answer Andy.

She didn't like lying but she couldn't tell the truth. She searched her brain for an explanation and figured it was the best to keep it simple.

"**The wild animal that's been attacking hikers" **she lied** "Jake and the guys volunteered to help Charlie hunt it down"**

It seemed to work since they both nodded in understanding. Izzy was ready to change the subject by mentioning Bella's visit, but it wasn't necessary. They grabbed munchies for their movie night and headed to the basement with the rest.

Movie night ended pretty early so it wasn't hard to get up early. After showering, doing her hair and makeup and throwing on a pair of ripped jeans, a yellow Nesquik t-shirt and matching converse, Izzy headed out to LaPush. She got a couple of howls on the way to Em's house, but none from Jake which meant he was probably home and fast asleep.

Izzy had nicknamed Emily house 'the hut' because it always made her feel like she was entering the land of fairy tales , the phrase 'I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down' always came to mind. As she expected, Sam was out with the pack, the silence was obvious evidence of that. Emily had gotten to know the roar of Izzy's bike well and heard her coming, she was in her small kitchen, frying up pounds and pounds of bacon, and yelled at Izzy to come in before she even knocked.

"**Morning"** Em smiled **"Come in, have a seat"**

Izzy answered the greet but ignored the request, grabbing a bowl from the cabinet and the eggs from the fridge. Emily smiled, shaking her head.

"**Will 2 dozen do?"**

"**Better make it 3"**

Em finished the bacon, checked the muffins and got started on the orange juice as Izzy scrambled the eggs and got started on the hash browns. They talked about the guys, school, the happenings at the rez, and Jake.

"**The guys are convinced he's imprinted on you" **Em insisted

"**Doubt it"**

"**Don't be so sure"** Em argued** "They do get to hear his inner most thoughts, if they are so sure of it, it's for a reason, Izz"**

"**I've seen you and Sam, Jared and Kim, Jake and I aren't like that"**

Emily puffed out air. **"Jake is the most stubborn person I have ever met"** she chuckled **"He doesn't wanna accept things are not the way he expected them to be"**

"**Explain"**

"**You can love more than one person" **she stated **"The love can even be equally intense, it's just a very different type of love" **shewent on **"You know all about Sam and Leah, right?"** Izzy nodded** "Sam still loves Leah. Very much. Before I came along, he believed he was in love with Leah, but the moment I entered his life he realized there was a different kind of love he didn't know about. He didn't stop loving Leah or loved her any less, just realized it wasn't what he thought it was" **When Izzy looked at her completely confused, Em stopped squeezing oranges and tuned to face her** "How can I put this? It's…like ice cream" **Izzy looked far beyond confused and Em laughed **"What I mean is, you try vanilla, strawberry and chocolate and fall in love with chocolate. You are convinced all you'll ever want is chocolate. Then one day you discover rocky road and realize chocolate is awesome, but rocky road is in another category of its own"**

"**So I'm rocky road?"**

"**And Bella's chocolate" **Em nodded

"**Funny, I would've pictured Bella more as vanilla"**

The girls had a good laugh and continued preparing the enormous breakfast it would take to satisfy the pack. Izzy didn't know if Emily was right about Jake imprinting, but she sure hoped so, it would mean he would soon realize she was the girl for him and Bella would be a part of the past.

They were finishing up when they heard a very loud engine approaching. They looked at each other with confusion but the whooping call the guys made when approaching, echoed, informing them it who it was. A second later Jared ran in, poking Izzy's ribs and giving Emily a big cheesy smile as he grabbed a muffin from the pan as she was taking it outta the oven. Embry walked in a moment later, grabbing a muffin first, and with a mouthful, kissed Izzy's cheek before sitting on the table with Jared.

"**You guys hungry?"** Em asked, being the mama hen she always was

"**You gotta ask?"** Izzy laughed as she jumped on the counter, grabbing a muffin herself.

"**Just leave some food for your brothers"** Em stated** "Where are they anyways?" **before they answered, Izzy's heart dropped as she saw Bella in the doorway. Em noticed her face and turned to the reason **"Who's this?" **she asked, though she probably knew.

"**Bella Swan"** Jared answered

There was some kind of interaction between Em and Bella but Izzy was too busy trying to figure out why Bella Swan was there to begin with to pay any attention.

"**Hey, Izz!"** Embry called, getting her outta her daze **"Can I take a ride on your bike?"**

"**Sure"** Izzy smiled, knowing well it was his way to lighten the mood **"Knock yourself out"** she said tossing the keys

"**Show me how to get it started"** he gestured with his head to follow him as he began to walk out.

Embry had ridden her bike countless times when they used to hang out at Jake's garage, he didn't need any instructions. It was obvious it was his way to either get her away from Bella, or get her alone to talk. Em nodded encouragingly and Jared stared as he munched away. Izzy jumped off the counter and walked to Embry, who was waiting for her a few steps away from Bella, who still stood by the door. Embry placed his hands on her shoulders and began to push her out the door, until Bella stopped him.

"**You knew"** she said to Izzy, not a question.

"**Even before Jake did, ha Izz?"** Embry laughed before pushing her out the door.

As she already knew, the bike ride had been an excuse to get her out the house. Embry cared deeply for Jake and wanted to make sure Izzy didn't get mad at him. She already knew about the little visit from Bella, what she didn't know was that apparently after talking to her, and when he claimed he'd be doing runs; Jake visited Bella, to make sure she was alright. He just couldn't bear to know he had hurt her feelings. The moron didn't spill the secret but definitely gave her enough clues for her to figure it out on her own, which apparently she did. _Jake should be thrilled about that! _

Izzy was too mad to say anything, Embry noticed and rambled on and on, trying to make sure she didn't kill Jake, emphasizing on the fact that he was scared Bella would go back into zombie mode, and this time due to him. She didn't know what pissed her off more, the fact that so many people walked on eggshells around Bella, or the fact that everytime things were going good, she had to pop up and mess everything up. After making sure she was calm and ready to back into the house, Embry took her hand and towed her towards the house.

"**Be nice, ok?"**

"**You mean, don't kill Bella, right?"**

"**Or Jake"** he laughed

But Jake and Bella weren't at Em's house. Sam was leaning against the kitchen island, his arms around Emily, and Jared and Paul were stuffing their faces at the small table, but Bella was gone and Jake was nowhere in sight. Sam and Em smiled at her, Jared looked up and did the same, Paul got up with plate in hand, chewing, with a full mouth as he walked over, kissed the top of Izzy's head and kept on eating as he walked back to the table, where Embry was already sitting, piling food on his plate.

Izzy hoped on the counter as Sam handed her a plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and a biscuit since the muffins were long gone.

"**Jake had to go give Bella the 'I'm a werewolf' speech"**

"**Uh ha"** she nodded with cocked brow

"**You were so much cooler when you found out"** Paul said between bites, causing her to laugh

If there was one thing the pack was good at, was making light of the darkest situations. They laughed and joked around as usual as they ate breakfast. Izzy ended up eating bits and pieces since everytime the guys walked by they took a bite outta her food. Within a couple of minutes everything was back to normal.

Emily and Izzy conned Paul and Jared into helping them with the muffins, they were all laughing at that when Jake walked in with Bella. Izzy saw them from the corner of her eye but pretended not to, just to see what Jake's reaction would be. To her surprise, he hugged her from behind and kissed her temple; she smiled and turned to kiss his jaw. He turned her as he turned to face the rest, Bella watching from the door.

"**We gotta talk"** he announced

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

It was evident Izz was not happy to see Bella at Em's house. As a matter of fact, neither where the guys, but they tried to hide it a little better. Jake knew he was gonna get hell later from Sam and Izzy, but that was placed on hold when he announced he finally knew what the redheaded bloodsucker was after, Bella.

Izz, Em and Bella sat back quietly as the guys came up with the best plan to catch the leech. Even though using Bella as bait would've never been his first choice, Sam was right, the best plan was to lay back and allow the bloodsucker to think she was getting what she wanted. They decided to set a permanent watch on Bella, especially her house, to make sure she and Charlie were safe, and to kill the leech when she returned, which it was obvious she was desperately trying to do.

"**Let me get this straight"** Izzy snapped **"**_**She**_** gets herself a vampire boyfriend, **_**she**_** decides to enter his world, **_**she**_** gets in trouble in it, has vampires coming after and because**_** she's**_** too selfish to deal with it, you have to babysit her 24/7?"**

"**Pretty much"** Paul nodded

"**Selfish?"** Bella gasped

"**Yeah, selfish!"** Izz yelled, Jake having to hold her back as she jumped up, no doubt with every intention of strangling Bella **"Not once have you said I'll leave, I'll lure the vampire away from here, away from my father and friends. Of course not, cause you can't leave, right? Heaven forbid Edward was to come back and you're not here! Who cares about anything else as long as you get your beloved Edward!"**

By the look on everyone's face, they were all thinking what Izz had dared to say out loud. Bella didn't defend herself or deny any of it; she just looked down at the floor for a second before announcing she was leaving. Because the pack needed to get a better grip of her schedule, Sam sent Jared and Embry with her.

To lighten the mood and take stress down a notch, Em urged the muffing baking to begin. With one of their helpers gone, Em and Izz made Jake take his place. By the looks he got from Izz, she had plenty to say to him, but after a couple of hours, she was back to her sweet self, being playful and affectionate with him as they baked the hundreds of muffins Em needed. The process took a lot longer than it should have since the guys were eating half of what came into the oven, but in the end they all had a really nice time.

It was pretty late by the time they finished. Jake drove Izzy's bike to her home as she sat behind him, holding on tight. They pretended to say goodnight at the front door, for her family's sake, but he snuck up to her room while she, Mary and her brothers discussed and commented on their day's activities. While Izz had a family moment downstairs, Jake looked through the extensive book collection she had and couldn't help but frown. Izz walked in as he was putting a book back in place.

"**Interested in some bedtime reading?"** she smiled

"**What's up with these books?"** he asked. When she looked confused, he further explained **"Sookie Stackhouse Series, Black Dagger Brotherhood, Vampire Diaries? Is there something you wanna tell me?"**

"**What? I like mystery books"** she shrugged. He cocked his brow, she giggled. **"What can I say, vampires are sexy" **he couldn't help take that comment as offensive and she laughed at his reaction** "The fictional ones" **she smiled, her hands up in surrender** "If it makes you feel better, I've always liked the werewolves" **she added as she walked up to him** "They're hotter" **she wiggled her brows as she tiptoed to kiss his chin.

The girl didn't know the effect she had on him; her sweet lips were able to wash away any thought he might've had. She remained on her tiptoes, while he held her up by pressing her against his body. And as their kisses usually did, it grew more passionate by the second until they were both breathless. She got off her tiptoes, placing a mild separation between them, he bend down to kiss her once again but she stepped back.

"**Hey!"**

"**I gotta shower"** she giggled **"Watch some tv, meanwhile" **she said tossing the remote to him **"But no cinemax" **she teased as she skipped away.

He watched almost a full episode of Roseanne before she emerged from the bathroom. In her pajamas, damp curls, no makeup and rosy cheeks from the hot water, she was a mixture of sweet and innocent with hot and sexy. She climbed into bed and curled up against him as he wrapped his arm around her. For the first time he noticed how small she was compared to him. He ran his fingers through her soft hair.

"**You're so fragile and delicate"**

"**Only compared to you"** she smiled. She hugged him tightly and kissed his chest** "I'm gonna miss you"**

"**Miss me?"**

She laughed and shook her head** "San Diego? 2 weeks? Ring a bell?"**

"**Oh" **he chuckled; relieved that was all she was talking about **"Spring break"**

"**Which I leave for tomorrow"**

"**Tomorrow?"**

"**Shhh" **she smacked his stomach **"Yeah, tomorrow. I leave in the morning"**

He'd known all about the trip but was certain it was a few weeks away. **"You can't leave tomorrow**" he complained **"I need you here. I need you to keep me sane and keep me going through all this crap"**

"**I'm sure Bella is more than willing to take over that job" **she grunted sarcastically.

It was obvious Izz was jealous of Bella and honestly, it was flattering, but it was also something Jake couldn't comprehend. Izz was gorgeous, and among a million and one qualities, she was new and exciting, she could have her choice of Forks' guys, including, and most importantly, the punk Chris, how she could ever feel jealous or insecure was beyond him.

"**Bella's just a friend"** he assured her, which was true **"Hopefully we catch that bloodsucker right away, but if not, Imma spend my time **_**watching**_** Bella, not hanging with her"**

"**Sure, sure"** she mumbled, imitating him. He laughed as he flipped over to hover over her, claiming her soft, luscious lips in a steamy kiss that melted the world away.

Jake never imagined he would have Izz in his life, much less that once she entered his life, she would enter his heart and claim it as hers. They had already spent weeks apart before and it sucked. Though it wasn't the same situation, it was still gonna suck to have her outta reach. Her absence was a reality check for him, it made him realize and accept how much he needed her smiles, the sound of her laughter, her comical banter, her loving looks, her sweet kisses, and her tender caresses. She made him laugh, she calmed him down, she gave him sanity, she pulled him back into the human world when it seemed like he was drifting. He had no clue what he was gonna do without her. He wasn't looking forward to the next fourteen days, but for the time being, they enjoyed every last bit of their goodbye.

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs on Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	21. Chapter 21

Izzy couldn't be happier that her best friends Ariel and Lala hit it off right away. The trio did everything together and a blast doing it. The first couple of days in San Diego, no one could pry them away from the beach. Cute bikinis, sun kissing their skin, squishing sand with their toes, cool waves cooling them off, and non-specific banter between best friends, life couldn't get any better…well maybe if Jake was there.

Jake called and or texted her at least once a day. They hadn't had any luck catching the redheaded vampire, seemed like she had picked up on their plan, but she wasn't giving up either so they were still hopeful. Jake and Bella weren't hanging out like Izzy had expected, or at least that was the story he was giving her. She missed him a lot and it seemed like he missed her too, he told her so every day. She couldn't wait to see him either.

But even though she missed Jake like crazy, Izzy was having a great time. Once the skating convention was over, she, Lala and Ariel drove to L.A. to pick up Andy and Seth, doing some grade A shopping at Rodeo Drive before heading back to San Diego of course.

The initial plan had been to stay at Ariel's house during their stay, but with only one spare bedroom, her house was too crowded with 4 extra people. With Ma's permission, they rented a beach front villa at the Del Coronado. Ariel spent most nights with them, and Mrs. Duval dropped by to check on them from time to time but they had complete freedom to do as they pleased. The five of them did some heavy partying and clubbing at night but most days were spent at the beach, surfing for the boys and cruising the pier or sunbathing for the girls. It was almost noon and they were doing just that, as the boys caught some waves, the girls waited for their burgers and fries at the pier bistro.

"**Hotties checking us out at two o'clock"** Ariel whispered as she playfully stirred her iced coffee.

"**Your version of a hottie or my version of a hottie?"**

"**Yes, cause her version is tall, dark and fifteen hundred miles away**" Lala teased

"**Oh shut up!"** she smiled as she gently shoved her shoulder

Her back pocket began buzzing, starling Izzy and causing her to jump slightly. She smiled at the name on the cell screen, Jake.

"**Speak of the devil"** Lala laughed

Izzy pushed the send button as she walked to the outside deck. From the corner of her eye she saw the 'hotties' making their move and walking over to Ariel and Lala.

"**Hey, sexy! How you doing?"**she smiled. The line was silent **"Jake, you there?"**

"**Yeah"**

"**What's wrong?" **she asked, instantly feeling a knot at the pit of her stomach **"Is everyone ok"**

Her mind went into overdrive, thinking of the million and one things that could've possibly gone wrong, after all the pack was hunting a vampire, and thinking the pack was wild bears on a killing spree, Charlie and the police force were hunting the pack.

"**It's Harry" **he answered, his voice coarse and broken

"**Harry?" **she asked in surprise, not one of the names she would've expected to hear** "What happened to him, is he ok?"**

"**No" **was all he answered.

"**Oh man" **she exhaled** "I'm so sorry" **

"**Heart attack" **he whispered **"Sue and Leah really need Seth right now"**

"**We're taking the…."**

"**You don't have to come back" **he cut her off** "Just send…."**

"**Like I said" **she cut him off** "We're on the next plane back. We'll see you in a couple of hours"**

"**Love you" **he sighed

"**I love you too" **click.

The moment Ariel and Lala set eyes on Izzy they knew something was wrong. Telling them was hard enough, Izzy didn't know how she was gonna break the news to Seth. While Lala made sure the food was to-go, Izzy texted Andy to go back to their villa and ran to the internet café next door and booked their flight home.

The guys surfed right outside the hotel, they'd surely be back at the villa by the time the girls got there, and though they were rushing, Izzy was dreading every second of it. She didn't know what to say to Seth, or how. By the look on Lala and Ariel's silent faces, they were thinking of the same thing. Once at the hotel, Ariel got her car and headed home to let her mom know what was going on.

To the girls' surprise, they walked in and ran into their packed bags. Seth was silent and withdrawn as he sat on the couch, staring out into nothing. Izzy and Lala turned to Andy.

"**Sue called him just before you texted" **

Though she was relieved she didn't have to be the one to break the news to the kid, it hurt her to see him suffering. By the tears pooling in her eyes and the way she soothed Seth's back, Lala was hurting for him too. Everyone felt bad and no one knew how to deal with it so they placed all their energy in getting home. They were packed, checked out and on their way to the airport with Mrs. Duval within minutes. By the hour they were on a plane headed to Seattle.

It was a good thing they hadn't allowed Ma to drive them to the airport on the way out, Izzy would've never been able to get a rental and it would've taken forever to wait for a ride. Instead, with bags in hand, they picked up D's car from long term parking and hauled ass. She had no idea how, but they got to Forks in little over an hour and a half, stopping at her house to drop off Andy and Lala, who would have to stay at her house for a few days since her parents were still outta town.

"**I'm sure Mrs. Duval already called Ma and let her know everything"** Andy said as he and Lala got off **"So no worries, stay in LaPush as long as you need. She'll understand" **Izzy nodded **"See you in a little bit, man" **he added to Seth, who had yet to say a word.

"**Call me or text me if you need anything"** Lala stated **"Both of you"**

In complete silence, Izzy and Seth got to his house in no time. Seth was known for his sweet face and permanent smile but suddenly the kid didn't just look years older but someone else completely. Izzy knew once he stepped foot in his house, things would only get worse.

"**Say something, kid"** she urged as he got off the car **"Cry, yell, scream, hit something, let it out somehow, please, cause you're freaking me out"**

"**My mom and my sister need me" **he answered in a distant voice she hardly recognized.

"**Hey!" **She said, cutting him off and forcing him to stop **"Look at me"** she said placing her hands on his cheeks, bringing his face to hers** "I understand your need to be strong and brave for your family, mijo. You're the man of the house now, I get it. But mourning, and crying, and showing your emotions, doesn't make you any less of a man. On the contrary, it makes you a bigger one. If you wanna walk in there and be the brave, strong man they need you to be, that's ok, but you need to take time to deal with it first or you're gonna go crazy"**

His emotions came rushing like an avalanche. He dug his face in the nook of her neck and cried. Izzy saw him as a little brother; it killed her that he had to go through something like that. Like she would with any of her brothers, she hugged him and allowed him to let it all out as he needed to.

In shorts, tank tops and sandals, there they stood, in a 40 degree chill, icy rain soaking them and mud at their feet for several minutes. They would've probably stayed for a lot longer if it had not been for the pack running out to them. Seth quickly stepped back, and though the rain made it nearly impossible to see his tears, she used the bottom of her shirt to wipe his face. The pack saw it all of course but pretended not to.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

She was back! Even with all the crap that was going on, seeing her face was like getting a fresh breath of air after an eternity of gasping for it. She was holding Seth, or attempting to, as he hunched over, crying on her shoulder. They had obviously rushed home, the kid was wearing blue surfing shorts, a white wife beater and flip flops and she had short denim shorts, a brown tank top and colorful sandals, they were drenched and though the kid didn't even seem to notice, Izz had a bluish tint and was slightly shaking.

Sam and the guys intentionally made noise so they could be heard coming. Seth stepped away from Izz, and she quickly wiped his face before turning to them. None of the guys said anything to the kid, but they all patted his back or gripped his shoulder, silently letting them know they felt his pain. Sam placed his hands on the kid's shoulders and guided him into the house, the guys followed, kissing the top of Izz's head on the way.

Jake stayed behind, wrapping his arms around Izz. She was nearly frozen solid and leaned into him, sighing as she enjoyed the warmth he gave her.

"**Whatever you do, don't let go"** she stuttered

"**Where you trying to become a Popsicle?"**

"**The kid was numb"** she shook **"I finally got a reaction out of him, I wasn't gonna ruin it by telling him I was freezing"**

"**Well we gotta get you warm and dry before you catch pneumonia"**

Her bags were still in the trunk and with his arms still around her, she grabbed some clothes and shoes before he carried her to the Clearwater's garage, where she ran in and quickly changed while he stood watch outside. Embry walked outside and looked confused to see the car there but not Jake or Izz, then he turned to the garage and saw him. He did a quick head jerk, silently asking for Izz, Jake gestured to the garage and pulled on his shorts, signaling she was inside changing her clothes, Embry nodded and went back inside. Just then Jake felt Izz's arms around his stomach and her cool lips on his back. He couldn't help it; he instantly had her pinned up against the wall.

"**I missed you so much"** he whispered into her lips before pressing his own against them.

The kiss was soft and gentle and suddenly turned salty, a tear had ran down her beautiful face. Jake wiped it away and looked at her with confusion and curiosity.

"**Don't worry about it" **she smiled** "Not the time. Come on"**

She began to walk away but he pulled her back to him.

"**I wanna know. Now"**

"**Jake" **she argued** "It's really not the time. We'll talk about it later, I promise"**

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, making it impossible for her to move** "You aint going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong"**

"**Jacob Black! You really gonna hold me hostage in the Clearwater's garage? Right now?" **she snapped. His answer was a cocked brow** "Seriously?" **she sighed** "Fine" **she breathed in defeat** "I'm afraid"**

"**Of me?"**

"**No. Of getting my heart broken" **she admitted. He opened his mouth to say something but she stopped him **"We made a deal, I know, friends with benefits, no string attached, but I screwed up, I fell in love. And now I am way too in love with you to stay away, but it terrifies me to get closer because even though its exactly what I want, it'll make it that much harder when we're apart"**

"**What makes you think we'll be apart?"**

"**Bella, it's always Bella" **she answered** "When we're together, it seems like the whole world disappears, like it's just you and me and nothing else matters cause we make each other happy. But it seems like everytime we're doing great, she gets herself into some kind of bs and its super Jake to the rescue and I'm sorry but I can't play that game anymore"**

Jake knew the moment would come sooner or later and it was time, he was ready. He had spent way too long emotionally going back and forth between Izz and Bella. Too many things had changed in the short time she had been gone. He finally realized he needed Izz in his life, by his side, with him, he realized he would always be second best to Bella, and not only that, but everyone and everything would always be second to Bella. Enough was enough. Jake placed Izz down and took her sweet face in his hands.

"**You wanna know where we stand? You're mine. And I'm yours. We're a couple, boyfriend and girlfriend, whatever you wish to call it, that's what we are" **he smiled** "I can't tell you I would never help Bella again cause you know I would, just like I would help any other friend that needed me, but you got nothing to worry about, craziness, I love you" **he kissed her sweetly** "Besides, Bella's gone. And I doubt we'll be seeing her around anymore"**

"**Gone? Whatcha mean gone?"**

He had a lot to tell and explain to her so he sat her on the hood of Harry's truck, first time noticing she was now wearing denim leggings, a blue sweater and matching bow flats. She sat quietly as he filled her in. He couldn't help trembling when he told her how the redheaded leech had grabbed Harry and was going for the kill when he got there. He managed to get her away but the scare was too much for his heart. Izz rubbed his arm, calming him. He went on, telling her how he had ran to look for Bella, to let her know what was going on, after all, Harry was Charlie's best friend and she'd known him all her life, but he found her drowning after she had jumped off the cliff.

"**Let me guess, you saved her life and watched over her till she felt better?"**

"**Yeah"** he admitted **"And when I took her home, Alice Cullen was there"**

"**Alice Cullen? They're back?"  
**

He explained about the psychic vamp's visions, the misunderstanding about Bella's death and the reason why Bella decided to go to Italy and save the bloodsucker from dying, again.

"**She left last night"** he stated **"Charlie's going crazy"**

"**As if he didn't have enough with his best friend's death"** Izz shook her head **"You know what, I don't wanna talk about that little brat anymore cause I'm getting pissed"** she stated, jumping off the car **"Let's go. I know Leah needs a friend right now and I'm sure there's plenty to help out in" **

Jake nodded as he took her hand, guiding her to the house. Izz gave her condolences to Sue and Leah, and then went to the kitchen with Em. Sue, Leah and Seth were grieving too much to deal with anything so Sam, Charlie and Billy were dealing with the arrangements for the funeral, burial and whatever else needed to be done. As Beta, Jake had to take reigns of the pack, assigning shifts and making sure that bloodsucker paid for their loss.

Though he was doing many things at once, Jake kept a close eye on Izz. She made sure his dad and Charlie always had a full cup of coffee in hand at all times, gave Sue, Leah and Seth encouraging pats or arm rubs when they seemed to be losing it and forced everyone to eat when they didn't feel like it. And when Leah stormed off and locked herself in her room, it was Izz who went after her. It was a long time before they emerged from the room again. Leah ran out the house and Izz ran to the living room, urgently trying to get Sam and Jake's attention. They followed her into the kitchen, she kept jerking her head but when they didn't get what she was trying to say, she grabbed their hands and pulled them outside.

"**What's going on?" **he asked

"**You guys have a big problem"** she whispered, making sure no one inside could hear her** "At least I'm pretty sure you do"**

"**Izz!" **Sam grunted impatiently

"**Leah has a fever"** she snapped **"And she's shaking really badly"**

"**She just lost her father" **

Izz grunted in frustration, Jake and Sam looked at each other without a clue as to why.

"**You dumdums!"** she waved her arms frantically **"Think about it! When was the last time **_**you**_** had a bad fever and began to shake uncontrollably?"**

"**She's a girl" **Jake shook his head. It couldn't be what Izz was thinking. Could it?

"**And?"** she cocked her brow, a bit offended.

"**What he means is that there's never been a female werewolf. Ever" **Sam tried to make peace.

"**Just because there hasn't been, doesn't mean there can't be"** Izz argued **"I saw Embry and Jake phase for the first time, remember? Leah's not looking good and in her state of mind…."**

"**It would be tragic"** Sam nodded

"**Yeah!"** Jake nodded **"For all of us"**

Needless to say Jake got double smacked.

"**Does she know?"** Izz asked

"**Harry was one of the tribe elders, I'm sure she's heard the stories plenty of times"**

"**But she wouldn't know they were real"** Sam stated** "Like you didn't"**

"**True" **Jake nodded

"**You better make sure someone keeps an eye on her"** Izz advised **"She mad, she's hurt, she's frustrated and if she does phase, add terrified and dangerous, that's a lethal combination, for everyone"**

Sam and Jake looked at each other and nodded.

"**I'll go tell the….."**

Jake's phrase was cut short as howls boomed through the woods. Normally howling meant 'bloodsucker!' but when there were four howls and not three and they didn't stop; they knew all hell had broken loose.

**...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...*****...**

Check out story pics at **DESTINYWORLD .TUMBLR .COM**

and keep tabs on Izzy's outfits at **IZZYLMCCARTY .TUMBLR .COM**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The howling that filled the woods was enough to terrify anyone within a hundred miles. Sam, Jake and the guys ran off immediately, leaving Izzy with the task of delivering the news to the elders. Poor Sue, not only had she just lost her husband, but she also had to deal with the fact that her only daughter had just become the first werewolf in history. The funeral continued but the next few hours seemed endless.

Fortunately the guys were able to take Leah far enough away to where Charlie didn't call an emergency hunting session, but the sudden departure didn't go unnoticed and many people asked questions. The Sam/Emily/Leah love triangle was a well known fact in LaPush, everyone knew Leah's attitude was due to it and knew better than to ask or bring it up, the big pink elephant in the middle of the room. But for once pinky came in handy, add losing a father to having lost a love and it Leah's running off made perfect sense, and Sam, Jake and the guys going after her to make sure she was okay and didn't do anything stupid was also very believable. And it was true, whether they expected it or not, whether they liked it or not, Leah was now a part of their pack and like with the rest, they were always there for one another.

The pack was a secret that must be kept at all cost, only the wolves themselves, their imprintees and the elders were allowed to know. Izzy was technically not supposed to know, she shouldn't know, but circumstances out of anyone's control made her part of a very exclusive circle, she was an exception, chief Swan was not. As Harry's best friend, Charlie was the last one to leave, countless times checking and re-checking that everything was taken care off before heading home. Sue's house was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Emily and Izzy cleaning up the kitchen and putting away the tons of food neighbors and friends had brought over, while Sue, Billy, and Quil Sr. dealt with Charlie. Seth was locked up in his room.

As nicely as you could possibly kick someone out, Billy and Quil Sr. urged Charlie to go home and rest, all impatiently waiting for him to finally get in his car and make his way down the road. Finally achieving it, Billy watched from the window until the police cruiser was outta sight, at which time the room erupted in discussion. All of which involved Leah, of course.

Even though she knew, and everyone knew she knew and was ok with it, Izzy felt as if she was intruding. While Emily held Sue's hand and made sure the men kept their cool, Izzy made her way to Seth's room to make sure the kid was ok.

She knew her knock would not get a response but she did it anyways. She even tried a second time, a little louder.

"**Seth, are you ok?"** she asked while opening the door. Expecting to find him lying in his bed, or curled up in the room somewhere, Izzy was not surprised his was in a corner, she was however surprised of _how_ she found him. Fear had replaced the agony in the kid's face, his arms tensely at his sides, his hands curled up in fists, so tight his knuckles were white, beads of sweat on his forehead, and trembling so fiercely the picture frames on the wall were rattling. Her heart sank. Ma always said news never traveled alone, whether good or bad, they always arrived in 3's, considering Harry's death had been one, and Leah's phasing had been number 2, they were dealing with not bad but horrible news, and the 3rd wasn't any better. **" Oh, god"** She'd seen that look way too many times for her liking. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if something about her caused werewolves to phase, hell, so far it was 4, and she was hoping it was her last **"We gotta get outta here" **she urged, but he was too scared to do react or even acknowledge her **"Seth! I need you to please trust me and come outside with me, ok, like **_**now!"**_ her urgency got his attention and he nodded, slowly making his way towards her as she took small steps backwards, her eyes on him the whole time as they made their way to the living room **"Billy!"** she called out without loosing Seth's eyes** "How do I get a hold of Jake and the guys?" **

"**Why do…?"**

Billy's words faded as he saw why the guys were necessary. She ignored Quil Sr. and Emily's murmuring about how Seth was still a baby and desperately waited for an answer, hoping she could get the kid out in time. One voice that was obviously missing was Sue's, but Izzy could totally understand why. The heartbreaking sigh caused Izzy to turn away from Seth. Having her second child, her little boy, also phasing, was enough for Sue to finally brake down.

"My baby!"

His father's death, his sister's phasing , and all the upheaval around him was enough to agitate him to the point of his own phase, but it was his mother's cry that threw poor Seth over the edge.

Seeing a human form explode and be replaced by an enormous wolf, not a sight you ever get used to. With a deafening growl, that was more about his own terror than aggression towards anyone, Seth went from a 14yr old kid, to a big, sand-colored wolf, turning his couch to splinters in the process. The screams and scattering seemed in slow motion for Izzy. Sue ran towards the front door, wheeling Billy away with her, while Emily and Quil Sr. ducked behind the kitchen counter. Izzy however, who was too close to him to run away in time, dropped and curled up in a little ball. By the time it was over, she was on the floor, between his fore legs, under splinters of wood and cushion stuffing. Wondering whether it was safe to move, she was suddenly airborne.

The screams and commotion had been enough to get the guys' attention. Sam, Jared and Embry had stayed behind with Leah, while Jake, Paul and Quil rushed back to find out what was going on. Thanks to wolf-telepathy, they found out exactly what was going on a minute before they reached the house. Jake phased on the flash, pulling Izzy outta the rubble and out from under Seth as he carried her, holding her tightly against his chest as Paul and Quil rushed Seth outside.

Izzy's heart was pounding so hard, it was all she could hear. It took her a minute to figure out she was being talked to, and when she finally looked up at Jake, he was inspecting her, holding out her arms, making sure she was all in one piece.

"**I'm ok"** she assured **"He didn't touch me"**

"**You sure?"**

"**Yeah"** she nodded **"I'm not hurt"**

Jake sighed in relief and pulled her against his hot chest, kissing the top of her head. **"Don't you ever do that to me again"**

"**Trust me"** she huffed, still breathing erratically** "Its not in my future plans" **

He ran around the room, making sure everyone was ok, especially his dad. Though shaken up, the couch had been the only casualty, no one had been close enough to have been in danger.Retuning to her, Jake wrapped his arms around her and once againkissed the top of her head once

"**If there's any others who might be phasing in the near future, please tell me" **she sighed "**I'll make sure to keep my distance. Cause I'm beginning to think I'm sort of trigger"**

Jake's chest rumbled with laughter as he held her tightly**. "Two in one day"**

"**Yeah"** she nodded** "Four total. Don't want five"** It was obvious Jake wanted to stay with her, he didn't let her go, but he kept looking out the window, towards the rustling in the woods, obviously where Paul and Quil were dealing with Seth. As much as she wanted him to stay, she knew he had responsibilities to tend to, and Jake wouldn't be the man she loved if he bailed on those responsibilities**. "Go"** she nodded towards the door **"They need you right now" **

"**I'll take you home first"**

"**Imma help clean up"** she shook her head **"And I got D's car, so Imma take your dad and Sr. home" **He nodded.** "I'll just see you later"**

"**I don't know how long I'll be" **His dreamy eyes were apologetic and didn't that make her love him all that more.

"**Don't worry about it, I understand"** she assured **"Besides, Em and I were planning on staying here with Sue"**

"**We don't wanna leave her alone" **Em added as she passed by with a trash bag full of couch pieces **"Especially now"**

"**Ok"** Jake nodded **"But if you need anything…"**

"**Yeah, yeah, we know"** Em smiled

"**You guys are only a howl away"** Izzy smirked

Jake gave Izzy a tight squeeze, kissed the top of their heads, did the same with his dad, and excused himself out. Em and Izzy smiled at each other, and with a sigh, grabbed a few trash bags, and the broom and pan. The faster they cleaned up, the faster they could pretend there hadn't been a ginormous wolf in the living room just moments prior.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Seth accepted his transformation a lot better than Leah did, no surprise there. Instead of looking at it as a curse, like she did, he saw being a packmember as a cool kind of magic that made him special. Of course he didn't have to deal with the same issues she did. If Jake had to be linked to his ex's thoughts the way she did with Sam, he would probably wanna kill himself too. While it only took Seth about a couple of hours to calm down and phase back, it took Leah all night, pretty much until exhaustion took over and she fell asleep. Controlling the change is something that takes practice, she phased back during her sleep, but when she woke up, naked, in Sam's arms, she phased right back, nearly ripping Sam to shreds. Next time around, they made sure to wrap her in a blanket, and for the carrying to be done by Jake and not Sam.

Sam kept his distance as Jake carried Leah home, following, but always staying outta view. He understood his face was the last thing she wanted to see. Leah finally understood the reason why Sam had left her for Emily. She understood, but that didn't make accepting it any easier. It was gonna take some time before she would be able to forgive Sam and Em for all the pain she had gone through. Understandable.

Emily was at the door when Jake walked up the porch steps. She too, knew Leah did not want to deal with her at the moment, staying silent, she held the door open for him. With a head gesture, he informed Em that Sam was waiting for her right past the back yard's trees. Smiling, she squeezed Jake's bicep and ran off to meet Sam.

He couldn't help but smile as he walked in the living room. In the one couch Seth had left unharmed, using the arm rest as a pillow and covered with one of Sue's handmade quilts, Izz was curled up, fast asleep.

Bypassing the first two rooms, which he knew were Sue's and Seth's, Jake walked up to Leah's door and kicked it open. He was surprised to see her room just as he remembered it from the times he visited as a kid, white walls, plenty of pastel blues and greens, lots of throw pillows and girly stuff. He thought maybe she had changed it to fit her current mood, in other words, lots of dark colors or maybe even a little goth, but maybe she was keeping it that way as a reminder of the girl she wanted to be again, the one she used to be, a normal teenage girl, happy, in love, full of hopes and dreams. Sadly, it was probably never gonna be the case again, at least not for quite some time.

Gently, he placed her on her bed, making sure to cover her with another blanket, just in case she moved, nothing would be flashing. He threw a few pillows off the bed, to give her room, and began to head out the room. He had only taken a step when he heard the bed springs.

"**Jake?" **her voice was almost a whisper, hoarse and broken.

"**Yeah?"** He didn't turn around, didn't wanna make her uncomfortable. He knew very well the nakedness took some getting used to, and he was a guy.

"**Thank you"**

"**Don't worry about it"** he took another step and reached the door.

"**She knew, didn't she? Izzy" **

He looked over his shoulder and nodded. **"She was there when Embry and I phased. She knew how to recognize the signs with you and Seth"**

"**She's good people, Jake"**

"**Yeah" **he smiled** "She is"**

"**Don't hurt her. Don't make promises you can't keep"**

Without waiting for an answer, Leah rolled over and went back to sleep. If anyone knew about being hurt due to broken promises, it would be Leah. It was obvious she cared about Izz, and was looking out for her friend. Jake would never intentionally hurt Izz, but he couldn't deny he had done so in the past, he just wished he never did it again.

Shutting the door behind him, he slipped outta the room and headed to Seth's room to check on the kid, the youngest packmember ever. He cracked the door only wide enough to peak in and see Seth draped over his twin bed, dead to the world. It was nice the kid was able to rest peacefully after everything he'd been through. Gently shutting the door, he soundlessly made his way to the living room, where Izz was still sleeping soundly. Slowly lowering himself into Mrs. Clearwater's little couch, he smoothly pulled his girl into his lap. Still sleeping, she exhaled softly while cuddling up to him, nestling her head in the crook of his neck. Even unconscious, Izz was able to sooth him, relax him, make him forget everything else. Jake rested his cheek on top of her head, running his fingers through her hair, her sweet scent and the thumping rhythm of her heart had him out like a light in no time at all.

Any guy would tell you there's nothing better in the world than waking up to your girlfriend's sweet, soft kisses on your neck, and her adorable giggle at your ear.

"**Promise to wake me up like this every morning, and I'm your slave for life" **he whispered in her ear. Couldn't deny that the friction her laughter caused wasn't felt very nice.

"**Imma hold you up to that"** she giggled. She pulled her head back, allowing him to look into her beautiful, jade eyes** "What time did you get back?"**

"**Right around sunrise"**

The grandfather clock in the living room read 9:30am, which meant he had gotten at least 3 hours of sleep. He definitely needed a few more, but he could get those later on.

"**Imma make a pot of coffee, and then we should head out"** she stated **"I think the family needs to be alone to go through their healing process"**

He nodded as she kissed his nose and jumped off his lap. Dealing with Leah and Seth had been physically and emotionally draining, he was dead tired. While Izz brewed a pot of java, cut up some fruit and gathered some of the scones and muffins that had been brought over the day before, Jake bounced in and out of consciousness.

After leaving the continental breakfast on the dinning table, she was ready to go. Funny thing about Izz, her intoxicating scent was enough to wake him out of a comma, the moment she returned to him, he was up and alert.

As usual, he offered to drive her home, in her brother's car of course, since she had driven it there. Typically, she was willing to let him have the wheel , especially when driving her bike, but claiming he was dead on his feet, she refused to hand over the keys. Turns out she was right, next thing he knew, they were crossing the treaty line. He was about to dose off again, when he got hit with the burning stench of saccharine. Izz knew him well enough to know something was wrong, she hit the breaks, swerving off the road.

"**What's wrong?"** He was trembling. He wouldn't be able to hold of the change much longer, he needed to get away from her, but if there were vampires nearby, he couldn't bare to send her off and leave her vulnerable. What a dilemma, what to do, what to do? She knew him too well. **"Vampires?" **He nodded. **"Oh, shit"** she whispered **"Want me to head back to the rez?"**

That was probably the best idea, his brothers were at the rez, but they were obviously being watched, if it was one bloodsucker, he could handle that, but if it was more, one could go after her. Jake opened the door, not sure of what he was gonna do, when he caught the blonde hair between the trees, it was Dr. Cullen. And next to him were Edward, that big one, and the creepy one he called brothers.

"**It's the Cullens"** he gritted between his teeth.

"**The Cullens?"** her confusion was as much as his **"What do they want here?"**

"**They can't step foot in our land. They probably want to tell us they're back and make sure the treaty still stands" **he got off the car and leaned in** "Stay here"**

"**Jake, they're not…"** she began to argue

"**Please. Stay here"** he insisted** "For me"**

She exhaled in annoyance and nodded.** "Fine" **he was closing the door when she added** " I'll call Sam"**

His nose burned with more intensity the closer he got. And his nose wasn't the only thing that burned, even in the sunless sky, the damn bloodsuckers sparkled like a princess's tiara. He couldn't understand how others could possibly not notice that. Then again they didn't have the sharp vision he did. Standing as close as he could without being physically sick, and leaving enough room to phase if necessary, he stopped a few feet from them.

The quartet was just feet from the road, but well hidden between the massive trees. As head of their 'family' Dr. Cullen stood head front, Edward and the other bloodsuckers at his wings.

"**Obviously, you're back. I'll tell the others" **

"**Sorry we had to look for you this way, Jacob"** daddy Cullen seemed genuinely apologetic **"We would've looked for you at her house" **he glanced over at Izz **"But we figured it was best if we didn't" **

"**You stay away from her!" **Jake snapped. His body was trembling already, now he was probably blurry, he needed to get away from them before he lost it **"I'll tell Sam and the elders you're back" **he couldn't help looking directly at Edward** "As long as you didn't **_**bite**_** anyone, the treaty still stands"**

"**Bella is still human"** Edward said as Jake was beginning to walk away. He couldn't deny it was a great relief, but he had to remember that Bella was not his concern, not on a personal level anyway.Easier said than done.** "She will be so as long as I can help it"**

"**Sure, sure" **he turned and began to walk away.

"**Jacob!" **Though he didn't turn, he paused when Edward called him, the only acknowledgement he was gonna get from him.** "I want to thank you"** the statement caused Jake's brows to burry deep. What the hell was he thanking him for? **"You kept Bella safe will I didn't. I will never be able to repay you for that"**

"**Trust me, it wasn't for your benefit"**

"**I thank you nonetheless. And I want you to know, I don't want Bella to become a vampire" **Deep down he knew that becoming a vampire was Bella's wish. It was the only possible way her relationship with the bloodsucker would ever work. But it hurt to much to admit it, it hurt too much to accept that his best friend, the girl he loved for so long, was more than willing to become an undead freak of nature, his mortal enemy, that she was willing to give him up, to give everything and everyone up, a life,_ her_ life, and all just to be with_ him_.** "Believe it or not, that exactly what I want to make sure she doesn't do"**

"**You stay outta my head!"** he spun around in his heel and all but launched himself at Edward.

Though it was obvious Edward had no intention in engaging Jake, Jake wanted to rip him to shreds, and the bloodsuckers knew it, reason why they formed a vampire wall around him.

"**I know the consequences of the choices she's willing to make"** Edward stated **"And I do not wish this life on anyone…"**

"**Life?"** Jake scuffed **"You're not alive, you're…undead"**

"**Be so as it may, I want Bella to live, Jacob. I want her to have a long fulfilling human life. And if I could have my wish, Bella will never become one of us"**

"**Then leave! Get the hell outta her life and **_**let her**_** live"**

"**I tried leaving, remember? And it nearly killed us both. I would never make that mistake again. I will not leave until she orders me away"**

Flashes of Bella came to mind. He vividly saw all the pain and depression she went through when he had left, her shoddy appearance, her emotional and mental state, her attitude, her shattered soul. Edward winced and took a step back. The images were obviously crushing him. Knowing the mind reading was finally coming back to bite him in the ass, Jake kept it up. He mentally fast forwarded to the later days, days just before his 'sister' returned and ruined everything. Flashes of Bella smiling came to mind, her having a good time with him in the garage, joking around with Quil and Embry, her holding Jake's hand, cuddling up next to him, calling him her sunshine, her savior, telling him she needed him. Those images seemed to kill _him_ just as much.

"**You gave up too easily. She would've been just fine without you"**

"**You would have left her too, Jacob"** Edward exhaled **"You cant help it. Imprinting is far more powerful than your feelings for Bella"**

"**What the hell do you know about my imprinting!"**

"**I know that its not Bella" **Edward glanced over at Izz, who was staring back at them, her jade eyes filled with worry and angst **"Deep down you know it too"**

Suddenly they were surrounded by husky huffs. From behind the trees, 7 wolfs emerged, including a swankier sandy one, Seth, and a shorter, leaner gray one, Leah. The additions to the pack definitely shocked the hell outta the bloodsuckers, their freaky yellow eyes got as wide as saucers. All four vampires instantly tensed up, and with good cause, Leah was looking at them like she wanted them for lunch. Daddy Cullen stepped up once again.

"**We have returned to Forks"** he announced, looking directly at the black wolf, the tallest, Sam **"Nothing has changed. Our side of the treaty remains intact"**

"**As long as you keep up your part of the agreement, we keep ours"** Edward answered, obviously for Sam **"The treaty is still in place"**

"**Thank you" **Doc nodded.

"**Can I talk, now?"** the deep commanding voice could be from no one else but the big bloodsucker. Everyone turned to him, the 'shut it' look he got from the other vamps caused him to grunt in annoyance.

"**We are also here about something else" **Doc stated. 'duh' He turned to Jake **"There's a reason we chose to look for you, Jacob"**

Ignoring the looks and tugs he got from the other bloodsucker, the big one stepped forward, walking up to Jake. The guy was tall, very muscular, his imposing stature very similar to Jake's, but his dimples and face had an innocent, almost childlike quality not often seen in a grown man.

"**I knew bringing Edward would cause for all this turn about Bella and your little love triangle"** he** s**tated, rolling eyes **"But he's the translator so we had to bring him" **he glanced over at the wolves, and though it was lighting fast, Jake caught the glance the bloodsucker threw in Izz's direction as well. **"Jake, this isn't about Bella or the treaty. Not for me anyway" **The pack's grumbles and huffs meant they were as confused and curious as he was. Jake had no business to deal with the bloodsuckers that wasn't about Bella or the treaty, especially when it came to the big one. He couldn't possible imagine what they could talk about.

"**What is this about then?"** unconsciously Jake leaned on his right leg, blocking Izz out of the bloodsucker's view.

The big vamp looked over at Doc, who nodded slightly. With a deep breath the bloodsucker turned back to Jake, his expression a little troubled. Jake was completely confused.

"**Its her I have to talk to, but I know she means a lot to you so we figured it was best if we let you know whats going on to avoid any problems"** the words were rushed, as if he was afraid if he stopped he wouldn't be able to go on **"I don't wanna hurt her, I would never hurt her, I mean, how could I…"**

"**What the hell are you talking about?" **Jake snapped. The bloodsucker was making no sense **"Who's the **_**her**_**?"**

"**You're just confusing him, Emmett" **Edward shook his head** "Slow down and explain"**

Jake glared at Edward, though it was exactly what he needed, it pissed him off that the bloodsucker kept reading his mind. Emmett ran his fingers through his hair and took a few deep breaths. Jake was loosing his patience quick. Finally the bloodsucker spoke.

"**My human name was Emmett McCarty"**

By the tone, his name was obviously supposed to mean something to Jake, but for a moment, it didn't. It meant something to Sam though, he stood up tall, wide eyes and looked directly at Jake before turning to Izz. That's when it hit him.

"**McCarty"** Jake whispered **"Isabella Luna McCarty" **his heart sank **"Izz is the her"** It wasn't a question but Emmett nodded

"**I'm here to talk about Izzy"**

Jake felt his knees wobble. Funny, the trees weren't spinning a minute ago. This couldn't be happening. Izz, his Izz couldn't be related to the bloodsuckers! It wasn't until he felt an icy hand on his wrist that he noticed his ass was on the floor, his head between his knees. The shutting door and whiff of sweet delight meant Izz was running towards him. He wanted to get up and run with her but his body shot down that idea, he couldn't move. Crap! How could a day that started out so great take such a drastic turn?

So, so sorry it took me this long to update! But the good news is got my laptop back and I will be updating frequently again :D

I'm a little rusty so please, please, please comment and let me know what you think!


	23. Chapter 23

Jake composed himself quickly, but now she was the one who was sitting on the ground, her head between her legs, a scorching hand on her thigh and an icy one at her wrist.

"Give her a moment"

Though she could hear voices, doctor Cullen's instructions, Jake's worried questions, and a mixture of huffs and whines, it all sounded distant and a little distorted, as if she was underwater.

The summer she had spent in the Salvatore estate, her great-great-grandmother had told her all about the family Izzy had never known, including Isabella Salvatore's own life. The great love of Isabella's life, had died, mauled by a bear, a few days before she found out she was with child. In 1935, an unwed mother was a great scandal, and to top it off, her Italian parents were devoted Catholics, dead set in their ways and exceedingly strict, they immediately disowned her and kicked her out of their home.

The McCarty family, who had known her all her life, never doubted the child was of their blood, and accepted the 19 year old in their home, eagerly awaiting their grandchild, the only thing their beloved son had left behind.

A few months later, just before she was to give birth, a large sum of money was left at the steps of the McCarty household. The family was set for a comfortable living and shared the wealth with Isabella, giving her a nice share, money she used to buy the Salvatore estate and begin what would be a very lucrative clothing boutique.

On March23, 1936, she gave birth to a baby girl she named Isabella McCarty, naming Emmett McCarty as the father on her birth certificate.

Emmie, as Isabella called him, was supposed to be dead. Yeah, but he wasn't. He was standing just a few feet from Izzy.

"**We need to talk"** she whispered, staring at the ground, still unable to look up at him **"But obviously not here"**

"**Would you like to come to out home?"** Doctor Cullen asked

Izzy nodded, gathering all her strength to get up without keeling over again. Jake instantly got up, taking her with him, his arm around her waist, holding her up, against his side.

"**You sure you wanna do this?"**

"**I have to"** she answered him **"I need to"**

"**At **_**their**_** house?"**

Jake's brows were buried deep, concern and distrust all over his face. The grunts, whines and huffs coming from behind them, meant the pack did not like the idea either. Izzy was not too thrilled about the idea of going to the infamous Cullen house either, but the conversation they needed to have wasn't one they could have just anywhere.

"**She's my family"** Emmett stated** "I would never hurt her. I would never **_**allow**_** her to be hurt. **_**By anyone**_**"**

"**We don't know about the family thing just yet" **Jake snapped** "And I don't trust vampires. Any of them. No matter how tame they claim to be"**

Izzy didn't need proof that she was biologically related to Emmett, she could feel it in her gut. Same way she knew he was dead serious about protecting her. But she knew that it could be her twin they were dealing with and Jake would still behave the same way if it was a vampire.

"**I'm going"** she stated, her tone announcing there would be no convincing her otherwise. Her expression softened as she turned to Jake **"But you go with me?" **Jake's brows were buried deep, his face an add for conflict and affliction, but he nodded anyways. Instantly there was an outburst of grunts and whines.

"**They don't trust us" **Edward announced to his family.

"**Fine" **she nodded **"So how 'bout Embry and Quil go with us too?"**

She directed herself to Sam, who didn't look too happy, but ultimately nodded.

"**I rather you didn't"** Edward translated for Sam **"But I understand you must"**

"**Thank you"** she said directly to the Alpha before turning to Emmett** "We'll be at your house at noon"**

"**Thanks for doing this"**

She nodded and turned to Jake, resting her forehead on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She didn't drink, but if there was a ever a good reason to down tequila shots, this was definitely it.

Izzy had to report home, give Ma and update on the Harry situation and ease her nerves. She and her brothers always kept her in the loop of things, but when situations like that happened, even though she knew they were ok, she was never completely at ease until she confirmed with her own eyes that her children were okay. A hot shower, a change of clothes and some food were all desperately needed too. After Doctor Cullen and Sam had a treaty related conversation, through Edward, everyone left.

Jake drove home with Izzy, giving her a thousand and one reasons why the meeting at the bloodsuckers' house was a bad idea. After realizing he was getting nowhere, he agreed to meet her there at noon, leaving her at her front door with a kiss goodbye.

Ma and Mark were on they way to the hospital when Izzy walked in the door. A hug and a quick update were enough to satisfy her mom, they continued on their way just a few minutes later. Of course there would be an intense mother-daughter talk later that evening, mostly to make sure Izzy was emotionally ok, and not overwhelmed by the situation. D was still in Cancun, and not expecting her back for a few days, Andy and Lala had gone to Port Angeles for the day.

Running up the stairs, she headed directly to her bathroom for a hot and steamy bath.

Her great-great-grandfather was alive. Sorta. He was…frozen in time…as a vampire. Okay, there was no way to say that without it sounding freaky. So many question came to mind, of course he was the only one who could give her the answers, which was the reason why she had to go. It was incredible that 75 years later, in a tiny, woodsy town, foreign to both of them, their lives would collide. Destiny was the only logical explanation. They were destined to meet there.

Who would have ever imagined her destiny would be filled with mythical creatures, twists of fate and so much drama and adrenaline. Who ever wrote her destiny must've been a fan of fiction and decided to collide it all in one shot. _Yay for me! Not!_

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Sam gave them so many instructions an precautions, he felt like shooting himself between the eyes. Ok, yeah, the Cullens were bloodsuckers, not to be trusted, ever, but they wouldn't have gone through all the trouble just to pick a fight later.

It would've been faster to run to the Cullen house in wolf form, but Jake couldn't take another minute of Sam's drilling, and the bitching and complaining of the rest. Seth was the only one who didn't have a problem with the bloodsuckers, he actually liked them, which of course caused the kid to be the receiving end of lots of smacks.

Embry was a bit concerned about the meeting, a little uneasy of being at bloodsucker central, but Quil was excited, keyed up to see what was behind those walls. Jake was worried, not about himself, or his boys, or anything werewolf-vampire related, he was worried for Izz. He could only imagining the things going through her head. Long lost relative? Related to vampires while dating a werewolf? Not good.

The Cullen house was just outside of Forks, in the middle of the woods, no marked roads to lead the way, pretty hard to find if you didn't know where you were going. Or if you couldn't smell the way there like the guys did. The three story, white house had just come into view for Jake, Embry and Quil, when Izz's bike pulled up, stopping about 200 yards from the front door. The guys walked up behind her as she kicked the stand in place, hanging her helmet on the handlebar. She smiled at the guys and leaned back against Jake's chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist. With a deep sigh she wordlessly expressed her feelings. He kissed the top of her head and leaned in, lowering his mouth to her ear.

"**One word and we're outta here"**

She nodded, intertwining their fingers. With Quil and Embry at their sides, they began to walk up the paved driveway, Embry looking around the woods, probably making mental note of the escape routes, in case they needed them, and Quil staring at the house with wide eyes, probably expecting some kind of funhouse activities. Emmett and Dr. Cullen instantly appeared at the door, causing the guys to wrinkle their noses in disgust. Izz noticed, and though she was obviously trying to hold in a smile, she gave them a 'stop it' look.

"**Welcome"** Dr. Cullen nodded slightly

"**Thanks for coming"** Emmett added **"We know how hard this is for you" **

"**Come on in" **the voice was soft and whimsical, and the lady that appeared beside the doctor, matched the voice perfectly. She was short, just a little taller than Bella, pale skin and yellow eyes as the rest, but caramel curls framed her heart-shaped face, which was soft and delicate, dimples displayed by her warm smile. She was obviously the 'mother'.

Izz marched on in, not giving a second though about it, Jake followed, his arm tightly wrapped around her. Embry and Quil followed up the stairs, but hesitated at the door, taking a moment before stepping forward. Even after they set foot inside, they didn't go much past the entrance, standing guard at the window, which happened to be the living room wall.

The house was not what any of them were expecting it to be, all very open and bright,

with few internal walls. To the left of the front door was a wide central staircase, to the right a raised area with a grand piano in the center. Also to the right were a dinning room and kitchen, which of course were for show since the bloodsuckers didn't eat. The living room was vast, the furniture in neutral colors, a whole lotta white, the furniture modern, the tv, enormous.

Jake and Izz took a seat at the first couch, facing away from the front door, where Quil and Embry would be right behind them. Emmett, Dr. Carlisle and the 'mother', who had introduced herself as Esme, took seat at the couch across from the glass coffee table. Edward, the blonde, the tortured one and the tiny one all sat quietly on the stairway steps.

"**I never knew"** Emmett blurted out , his eyes on Izz **"I need you to know that"**

Izz looked calm, but Jake knew better, her body was tense, her breathing and heart rate were a bit off, and her grip on his hand was probably cutting his circulation. Not that he cared, he wasn't letting go no matter what. With her free hand, she reached inside her shirt and pulled out the silver necklace she always wore, a small heart pendant hanging from it. Jake had seen it plenty of times, she always wore it, though usually tucked away under her shirts. He had never paid much attention to it, he did this time, as she turned it, McCarty was inscribed in the back, Emmett gasped, his face paler than usual.

"**I know"** she answered **"She told me she didn't find out she was pregnant until after you…**_**died**_**"**

"**You knew her? Isabella?"**

Izz nodded.** "I met her a few years ago. Spent the summer with her. She died in her sleep the night before I was supposed to be heading home"**

"**I gave that to her" **he pointed to the chain with his chin** "On her 18****th**** birthday" **

"**She said you were the love of her life" **Izz smiled** "She never married, you know. She called you Emmie.** **She described you perfectly, but she called you Emmie. McCarty, not Cullen. I never made the connection**"

"**How could you?"** Doctor Cullen stated **"You believed he was dead"**

"**Even if he**_** were**_** alive, he would've been a 91 year old man"** Esme added

Izz took a deep breath and told them everything she knew about her family. All of which had been told to her by her great-great-grandmother. From lost loves, broken dreams and abusive husbands, the women in the family, all named Isabella, had lived very hard lives. Orphaned at the age of 13, Izzy's mom moved in with her boyfriend's family, getting pregnant and giving birth at 15, abandoning the baby at the hospital. She was killed in a car accident a few years later. Izz spent the first ten years of her life in an orphanage. Until Mary adopted her, after Daniel and Mark, and before Andy.

"**I wish I would've known"** It was obvious the tough times his family had gone through were hard on him. Emmett looked like he would cry if he could.

"**I didn't have it so bad"** Izz shrugged **"I love Ma and my brothers. The others could've probably used your help though"**

"**How did you know?"** Jake asked **"**_**When**_** did you know Izz was related to you?"**

"**Night of the carnival" **the tiny one answered, getting stern looks all around, which she shrugged off, not caring** "Izzy is a mirror image of her great-great-grandmother. That's why Emmett freaked out when he saw her"**

"**She said I looked like her" **Izz breathed

"**Down right to the shade of green your eyes are" **Emmett nodded** "It was like going back in time 70 years" **he sighed** "I instantly knew you were related to **_**her**_**, even before you said you were from Tennessee. But when you said your name…"**

"**Oh, my god" **Izz chuckled** "I changed my name three years ago. At her request"** it seemed she was talking to herself more than anything, like she was connecting puzzle pieces together **"My last name was Luna. Her daughter…" **she looked up at Emmett **"…**_**your**_** daughter's name was Isabella McCarty. She asked me to take her name, so I changed mine to Isabella Luna McCarty" **she chuckled once again** "If I hadn't, you would've probably never known"**

"**He would've probably looked into it anyways" **Blondie stated as she walked to Emmett's side** "But nowhere near as deeply as we did"**

"**That's what we were doing while we were gone"** he admitted **"Finding out as much as we could"**

"**I was left at the hospital"** Izz stated** "Isabella Luna was the name on the birth certificate, the only part that was filled out. And this…" **she held out the chain **"…was left on my bassinet. Apparently it had been handed down from mother to daughter for quite some time"** she sighed **"3 years ago, I asked Ma to help me look for my mother. I had a mother and a family, I wasn't looking for another one, I just wanted to know my history. Isabella McCarty was the first name we searched. From there it was pretty easy to go down the line until we found out about my biological mother" **Everyone was absolutely quiet, listening attentively** "I wasn't expecting to find anything, so I wasn't disappointed. Just as I had considered that chapter closed, Isabella Salvatore came knocking at my door" **Izz avoided looking directly at Emmett, her eyes wandering all over the room, only glancing at him from time to time, this time her eyes locked on his** "What happened?"**

"**The Salvatore's owned and ran and Italian restaurant, food famous throughout neighboring towns. Isabella had a wild spirit, strength and mind-set that was not common in a girl back then. Growing up we were friends, swam in ponds, climbed trees, hunted small animals, created havoc with out pranks" **he sighed, the smile evident he was remembering** "Her parents never liked me, saw the wild streak in me and knew I only brought out the one in her. As we grew older, they did everything they could to keep us apart. But…"**

"…**she wasn't the type to be told what to do"**

"**No, she wasn't" **he smiled** ""I was very wild during my teen years, had way too much fun and didn't really care about consequences" **he admitted** "Alcohol, women, you name it, I did it" **his chuckle boomed** "Parents loved me but didn't know what to do with me. It was a good thing I was a good hunter and helped out my family, otherwise they would've kicked me out" **he ran his fingers through his hair** "No matter where I went, or what I did, I always returned to Isa. She would yell at me, tell me to finish sowing my wild oats, but always took me back. I was certain she was the one I was gonna marry"** he smiled **"That's why I gave her that pendant" **he glanced over at Blondie and sighed** "On a routine hunting trip, I was attacked by a bear, mauled, nearly to death…"**

"…**that's how I found him" **Blondie intercepted** "I fought off the bear and carried him to Carlisle. He turned him, kept him from dying"**

"**I couldn't go back to my family after that"** he stated **"Controlling the urges takes a very long time. By the time I was able to be close to humans without…" **'attacking them' went unsaid **"I couldn't risk someone recognizing me and noticing the changes in me"**

"**You're the one who left the money, weren't you?" **Izz asked

"**Yeah" **he nodded** "Eddie hooked me up…" **he smiled at Edward** ".. and I left it at their front door while they were sleeping"**

Izz and Emmett talked about the old days, stories he had of her great-to the something power-grandmother. Little by little, the little one, Alice, her mate, the freaky one, Jasper, and the bloodsucker, Edward, joined in the conversation. Jake listened quietly, holding Izz's hand the entire time, and Quil and Embry kept their post, silent, yet they went from standing by the windows to sitting on the arm rests of the couch Jake and Izz were sitting on.

It was so weird to think if Izz as being the blood relative of a vampire. It probably would seem hypocritical coming from him, a werewolf, but being a werewolf was something you were born being, a gene that carried throughout the family. Essentially they were human, they were born, lived, and died. Vampires on the other hand, they were freaks of nature, humans that were robbed of a normal life and turned into undead being that were frozen in time.

"**So where is all this gonna leave you guys and Izz?"**

Though a lot of them were probably thinking it, it was the always blunt Quil who actually put it into words.

"**We know that essentially, we are strangers. To Izzy"** Dr. Cullen stated **"But we are a family above all" **meaning the vampire came second to them, aha **"Izzy is Emmett's family, therefore family to us too"**

"**We would like to get to know her" **Esme added **"And for he to get to know us"**

"**I would love to be a part of her life" **Emmett stated

"**As much as it could be possible"** Edward added

Izz looked at Jake, holding his eyes for a few seconds before turning to the vamps.

"**You have to understand this is all very weird to me"** they all nodded **"Imma need some time to get used to the idea"** she looked over at Jake and glanced at the guys **"LaPush is a second home to me, people there are…family too. And obviously you and them don't mix" **she smirked** "I just need some time to figure things out"**

After a few minutes of small talk, it was finally time to ditch that smelly joint. He was surprised he didn't have a nose bleed. Walking out, Emmett slightly touched Jake's forearm, only enough to get his attention, making sure the touch didn't linger or feel aggressive. Staying behind a few steps, Jake allowed Izz to go on, out the door with Quil and Embry. He then turned and faced Emmett.

"**When it comes to her"** he looked out the door, obviously meaning Izz **"I don't care about treaties. When it comes to her, I don't care if you're a werewolf, a vampire, or an alien, you hurt her, and you become dinner, ok?"**

"**When it comes to her, she ends up in**_** any **_**sort of danger because of you, and **_**all of you **_**become puppy chow, ok?"**


	24. Chapter 24

It wasn't surprising that Izz decided to include Emmett in her life, therefore mixing in the Cullens as well. Family was of the utmost importance to her, and after knowing she was biologically related to him, she couldn't go on pretending like he wasn't.

The pack would never think of forcing her to chose between them and the Cullens, but they didn't have to, Izz always made sure to kept both sides of her life completely separate. At school, Alice and Jasper became part of the group she hung out with, not something Jake was comfortable with, but accepted. Edward, she kept her distance from, when he was with Bella. There was probably nothing anybody could ever do to get Izz to like Bella.

Jake tried to spend as much time as possible with Izz, taking his shifts at night, while she slept, or in the morning, while she was in class, unfortunately it wasn't always possible. It was during those times that she used to hang out with Emmett and his 'family'. Lala was usually part of that equation, and occasionally her brother Andy, not that their presence helped the safety situation, they were just human, but it did calm Jake a teensy bit to know Izz wasn't alone at vamp central.

With the redheaded leech still running loose, the pack was on guard 24/7. Victoria was hunting Bella, the pack was hunting Victoria, and Charlie was hunting the pack, _great!_

Izz gave Jake his space to do his thing with the pack, didn't complain about his absences, and handled the danger of his job really well. She probably worried just like everyone else, but she never once mentioned it, one of the many reasons why he loved her. She didn't mind hanging out with the pack, always joking around with them as she did with her brothers, and got along great with Em and Kim. And to everyone's surprise, she was the only one who could get Leah to laugh. She was even welcomed at the tribe's council meeting, the first outsider to attend a bonfire with the elders and the pack, ever, something she considered a great honor.

Things between Jake and Izz were going great. Though they didn't get much alone time, they had been able to sneak in a few trips to their plateau, which were always mind-blowing to say the least. There had been no fights, in fact, the only argument they'd had in weeks had been about taking a shopping trip to Seattle. But with all the girls in town going crazy about the upcoming prom, taking that trip was probably gonna be unavoidable, Jake held his ground, but eventually caved. He didn't mention it to the girls, but if they were gonna go anyways, at least Alice and Blondie could keep them safe from other vamps.

Jake tried not to think of Bella. He really did. Most of the times he even achieved it, sometimes days would go by without a single though of her. But sooner or later he would see or hear something that would remind him, making his heart ache a bit. From the moment she returned from Italy, the phone calls and texts began. He never answered, he never replied. One moment it was all about "You're my personal sun", "I need you", and the next "My boyfriend's back" "Whats your name again?". His romantic feelings for her aside, being kicked to the curb like a week old newspaper stung like hell. Then, in a weak moment of childish retaliation, he took her bike home to Charlie, ratting her out about it's existence. Grounding, was not strong enough word for what happened after that. He felt bad for the betrayal, but on the up side, it brought an end to the phone calls and texts.

He would've kept on with the silent treatment, but when the text I NEED YOU came through, he couldn't keep his back to her. No matter how much he wanted to do her the same way she did him, he just couldn't. The reunion was anything but sweet, actually it turned out a total disaster. She showed up at his house, riding her bike, soaking wet, the embrace had been short, the conversation was awkward, and after announcing that she would be leaving Forks after graduation, because she had chosen to be turned into a vampire, he nearly lost control, growling at her that he rather see her dead. They had not seen each other or spoken since.

When Izz invited Charlie over for a tip-off party, the possibility of Bella showing up, was slim to none, he knew that even if Edward had allowed her to go to a 'werewolf' gathering, after the fight they'd had, that was not happening, not to mention the fact that it was at Izz's house, more than enough reason to stay away. It still hurt when she didn't even call to give an explanation for the no-show.

"**Hey there, Charlie"** his dad greeted. He held the door open, looking out towards the yard **"Is Bella with you?" **

Izz was getting one of the many appetizer platters from the kitchen, and though she pretended not to have heard the question, Jake instantly noticed her shoulders tensing.

" '**fraid not"** Charlie shook his head** "She went to visit Renée for the weekend" **walking past the living room, and towards the kitchen where he noticed they were **"Hey there, kids"**

"**Hi, Charlie" **Jake smiled as Charlie clapped his shoulder.

"**Make yourself at home"** Izz smiled. The change in her attitude made it obvious she'd been dreading Bella's presence, now that she knew she wasn't showing, it was all smiles as usual **"Everyone's in the basement"**

Jake was off rotation for the afternoon, as was Leah and Seth, who were hanging out in the basement with Lala, Andy, and Mark, and Chris, who unfortunately had been invited by Mark. Mary, though a raging Lakers fan like Izz, had to miss the game due to work, but had made her kids promise to text her with score updates.

While Izz and Charlie balanced massive platters down the stairs, with every bite-sized food imaginable, Jake had no trouble carrying his dad to the amazing home theater. Seth pretended to help, for appearance sake, carrying the wheelchair.

Everyone else had been there before, even his dad had spent a couple of evenings with them watching movies, but Charlie had not had the pleasure, he looked around in amazement.

"**Please tell me you're a sports fan" **

"**Never miss a Lakers game"** Izz smiled, pulling on her Bryant jersey.

"**Or a Cowboys games"** Andy added

"**And we always enjoy a good fight"** Mark smiled

By the look in Charlie's face, it was easy to see he and Billy were planning on coming around a lot.

"**Do you watch baseball?"**

"**I rather play it than watch it" **she answered** "But you guys can come over and watch a game **_**anytime**_**"**

"**If you don't marry this one" **Charlie smirked at Jake** "**_**I**_** will"**

"**Get in line" **Jake heard Chris whisper.

Leah and Seth instantly turned in Jake's direction, evident that thanks to their heightened hearing they had picked up on the comment too. No one else heard it though, and when his body tensed, his jaw clenched and his fists curled in anger, Jake had to play it off as if nothing was wrong. Truth was he was itching to rip that punk in pieces, had been for quite some time.

The pre-game show was turned on, muted, while random chatter and a few good laughs were had by everyone until the game got started. Throughout the game, Quil and Embry dropped by several times, checking in on the score and scarfing down food. For a minute, Jake was worried Charlie would notice the peek-a-boo appearances from the guys and get suspicious, but it instantly became clear that the chief was too wrapped up in the game to notice anyone who didn't have a basketball in hand.

It was an exciting game, intense from start to finish, and Chris knew it was in his best interest to stay outta Jake's way, keeping his interaction with Izz to a minimum, so it was a pretty good time. One of the few moments it was possible to forget all about werewolves, vampires, treaties, and all that, and it was ok to be a kid, enjoying an afternoon with friends, family, and his beautiful girlfriend.

Lala's mom called just as the final buzzard went off, urging her to get home ASAP cause her little brother's babysitter had gotten sick. Chris volunteered to drive her home, and knowing his presence wasn't well liked by _certain people_, he wouldn't be returning, saying 'goodbye' for the evening. Mark had a date he had to get ready for, he excused himself shortly after helping Seth polish one of the appetizer trays.

While Billy and Leah picked out a dvd for movie night, Jake helped Izz pick up some of the mess, throwing away all the empties and trash, and trading the chicken wings and mozzarella sticks for popcorn buckets, chocolates and candies.

"**Where's Bella? Why didn't she come?"** Seth asked, getting a death glare from Leah for bringing up the subject. Izz ,Lala and Leah didn't like Bella, which meant Seth wasn't supposed to like her either. Apparently the kid hadn't gotten the memo.

"**In Jacksonville till Monday"** Charlie answered **"Dr. and Mrs. Cullen had gotten her plane tickets for her birthday and they were expiring"**

"**She went with the Cullens?"** his dad asked.

Charlie's expression changed, apparently he didn't like the answer he had to give. **"I swear, sometimes you wish your kids didn't become of age till they were 21" **he frowned **"Maybe even 25 for girls. Right, Billy?"**

"**I hear ya"** his dad smiled

Jake could feel his heart pounding. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach, kind of like when you know you're about to hear bad news.

"**Who did she go with?"**Seth asked for him.

"**Edward"** Charlie grunted.

A cold chill ran down Jake's back. Bella had said she would wait until after graduation to turn into one of those freaks. But what if after their fight, she had decided to do it sooner? Three days was more than enough time to go from human to leech, the girl was pale enough as it was, no one would notice the difference, she could wear contact to hide the eyes, she had never been the touchy feely type, hiding her icy temperature and stone-like skin wouldn't be hard, and if the Cullens could be around humans, they could easily teach her the tricks of the trade.

He tried to act normal, sit down, to avoid falling down, looking elsewhere, anywhere else to hide his feelings. He didn't succeed. The look she got from Izz was crystal clear 'what do you care?' And she was right, he shouldn't care, Bella wasn't a victim, she had chosen it, fought for it actually. But the thought of loosing his best friend forever, killed him. Her death would've been agonizing, but eventually you move on, carry with you the good memories and hold them dear to your heart, but knowing she is out there, a filthy bloodsucker, a freak of nature, forever frozen in time, willingly walking away from everyone and everything that once meant something in her life, that was revolting and unbearable.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Saturday had been nice, a fun time, up until it was ruined by Bella, and she wasn't even there, aint that a bitch. On Sunday, Jake had to make up for having the day off, she wasn't able to see him all day. The always knowing Alice, called early in the morning, claiming Izzy just _had _to come over, apparently trying on the prom dress she had bought was a must, again, cause she needed plenty of time to do the alterations needed. In Izzy's mind, none had to be done, but she knew better to argue with Alice. Of course that turned out into an all day thing. Following some girl time with Alice and Rosalie, Izzy playing the role of dress-up Barbie, Emmett decided he was gonna cook lunch for her. After nearly burning the house down, Esme decided the safest thing to do was to order delivery. Chinese food was delicious, and with a full tummy, it was on, busting out the Street Fighter. Even Jasper and Rosalie got in on the action. Izzy's Chun-Li could kick anyone's ass, fact Emmett just couldn't get over. Many hours later, after Rosalie forced him to give up, Izzy headed home.

Monday was pretty usual day. School, homework, chilling at home with her brothers, and then a goodnight kiss from her sexy man.

Between nonstop rounds, and trying to catch some z's in between, Jake was stretched pretty thin lately. But he never missed the opportunity to sneak into her room and kiss her goodnight. Many, many times. They talked about the usual stuff, his dad was worried he wasn't getting enough rest, Sam was working them into the ground, Leah was getting on everyone's nerves, Izzy had a history paper due on Friday and she hadn't gotten started yet, her mom was trying to convince her to trade in her bike for a car, Lala and Seth were getting pretty touchy feely lately, same 'ol, same 'ol.

Bella was not mentioned once. He appeared to completely ok about the situation. But Izzy knew that inside he was dying to know if she was still the same Bella he had always known. Everyone knew that sooner or later Bella was gonna turn into a vampire. Come on, it was the only way her relationship with Edward would work. Even though they didn't approve, and hated knowing there would be another bloodsucker around, the pack was ok with it. They were expecting it. Jake on the other hand, he just couldn't get over it.

Izzy had told him many, many times, he had no one to blame but Bella. Edward wanted Bella to stay human, as a matter of fact, he begged her to, but she was adamant about her change. If Edward didn't change her, she would definitely find a way to get herself turned, reason why the Cullens had finally given in. As a matter of fact, it was a ongoing joke in the Cullen house that Edward was not safe with Bella for she was trying to rob him of his virtue. If anything, Edward was the reason Bella was still human. Jake knew it was all true, in his heart, he knew it, getting him to accept it, that was like trying to turn dirt into gold, not happening.

Tuesday morning was chilly, not uncommon, but a bit too nippy for May, even in Forks. The weather didn't interfere with Izzy's fashion anymore, she was gonna wear whatever she wanted to wear, even if she has to cuddle up to Lala and her brothers for warmth. With jade green Mary-Janes, blue jeans, and a flirty jade green blouse, Izzy mounted her bike and headed for school.

As usual, Mark and Andy gave Lala a ride to school, since her parents still didn't feel comfortable with her behind _any_ wheels. Chris walked up to Mark's car, where they always gathered before heading to class. From the corner of her eye, Izzy saw Edward's Volvo pulling into the parking lot. Not a second later, she heard a sound that made her heart skip, the revving of a bike. Even before turning, she knew who she would see, Jake dismounting his bike.

Izzy's blood boiled. He was never gonna let her go. It was never gonna end. No matter how many steps forward their relationship took, it would obviously only take one gesture from Bella for them to be back to square one. Regardless of the reason he claimed having for being there, they all knew it would be a bunch of bs, truth was he just had to make sure Bella wasn't a vampire. He could've waited to hear it from Izzy, hell, even if it was the pack who needed to know, they could've sent someone else, anyone else. No, he couldn't allow that, he had to ride down to check up on poor little Bella. Patience and understanding could only put up with so much.

Whatever was being said and discussed between the trio, it was not something Izzy cared about anymore. She ignored the fact that everyone was staring, anxiously waiting for a fight to break out, and pulled Lala to go with her, the sooner she got in the building and away from that crap, the better. Chris instantly followed, but Mark and Andy stayed behind, like everyone else, curious to see what played out. Just as she was about to push the door open, she realized her bag was still sitting on Mark's car roof. With a grunt of anger and irritation, she turned around and walked back. For a second, Lala and Chris were unsure of what was going on, probably thinking Izzy was heading back to kick some ass, they stood in the doorway, silently watching her.

She could only imagine what her expression was like. Mark and Andy got out of her way as she approached. They stared as she grabbed her bag, nearly yanking the strap off. When she turned around, she realized why the had stepped away, she slammed into Jake's chest. It took all of her self control not to grab her helmet and swing away at him.

"Hey" His smile just pissed her off even further. She was surprised steam was not coming out of her ears. She crossed her arms, taking a step back before he hugged her. "Whats wrong?"

_Is he kidding me?_ **"What's wrong?"** she snapped** "Are you for real right now?" **She glanced over at Bella and Edward, who were staring right back. Jake opened his mouth, his facial expression obvious that he was about to give her some lame ass excuse. She didn't give him a chance to**. "You just cant do it, can you? You just can't let her go"**

At some point, Mark and Andy had walked away, probably knowing she was gonna lose it soon. They would be watching it all go down from a safe distance, with Lala and Mark, by the main door.

"**The pack needed to know"** Jake's voice was not a whisper, there wasn't anyone close enough to where he had to, but it was a bit lower than normal **"We needed…"**

"_**We**_**?"** she lost it **"Don't you fucking lie to me! **_**They**_** didn't need to know shit! **_**They**_** have been expecting it all along! Its you! **_**You**_** needed to know!"**

"**Izz, calm down" **Jake looked around, if he could carry her away he could, but that would only make things worse. Not very inconspicuous.

"**Why cant you get it through your thick head, Jacob? She loves **_**him**_**! She's chosen **_**him**_**! No matter what you do, nothing and no one will matter more to her than **_**him**_**! **_**Ever!**_** Why cant you fucking accept it?"**

"**Because I love her"**

Her gasp was the sound of her heart breaking. Jake tried taking it back the moment the comment slipped out of his lips, but it was too late. It hurt like someone had stabbed her through the chest with a butcher knife. Though no one was close enough to hear what he said, everyone was staring at them, not that she gave a damn. Izz had never been one to care what others thought. Her body felt like cement, she couldn't move, she couldn't say anything though a million things were going through her head. For the first time she knew what it felt like to have too many thoughts at once. She felt cold and began to tremble, though her eyes were on fire. She was crying. She needed to get away, and it had nothing to do with the audience but with the agonizing pain in her chest and her desperate need to get as much distance between her and Jake as possible.

"**I see"** she whispered.

He was talking, she could hear his voice but she didn't listen to the words. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing he said mattered anymore. Without another word, she managed to turn away. Grabbing her forearm, he tried stopping her, but she wasn't having it, her mind came back with a vengeance, and with all the strength she had in her, her hands slammed into his chest, shoving him away. Surprisingly, he stumbled back, giving her a chance to mount her bike. Two seconds later, she was racing down the road at 200mph, the rain and her tears making the road and the trees nothing but a blur or black and green. Ironic, what she saw, was what she felt like, nothing but a blur.


	25. Chapter 25

Sam knew that was gonna happen. Warned him not to go. Izz had been right all along, the pack had accepted the fact that Bella would become a vampire. Weren't gonna even consider it a treaty violation since it had been her decision. Can't be a victim when you're begging for it.

Leaving Izz's room for the night, her breath shallow and steady as she slept peacefully, Jake kissed her chestnut curls and headed out. He had ran a few yards into the forest when the breeze carried over a scent he had gotten to know well, the redheaded leech, Victoria. It was just before dawn, but the Cullens must've been on the hunt for her too, they quickly joined the chase. To be honest, the Cullens would've had her, only problem, the leech crossed over into Quileute land. Not wanting to miss the chance of catching her, Emmett leaped at her, only missing her because Paul launched at him, knocking him back into Cullen territory. That obviously didn't end well and while there was a whole bunch of hissing and growling, the redhead got away.

After that fail, Sam decided things should be kept peaceful, especially since they needed each other to bring an end to the redhead. The plan was have Izz ask the Cullens to meet with the pack, have a talk, remind them of the terms of the treaty, and arrange some kind of schedule to make sure there was always someone on the lookout on both sides of the line. Knowing well Jake would not be objective, and would turn matters into something strictly about Bella, he was told not to get involved. As a matter of fact, he was ordered to stay away from her and the Cullens. _Did he mention, he had a hard time taking orders? _Yeah, and look where that got him, fucking everything up. Again!

Jake stared with wide eyes as Izz sped off. He was stronger in his wolf form, but even without phasing, he was still easily 10 times stronger and faster than a normal human. Her ability to send him stumbling back left him in shock for a second. Instantly, Bella and Edward were at his side, Mark, Andy and Chris stared from the doorway, disappointment all over their faces, and Lala was running towards him, pissed as hell.

"**What are you waiting for?"** Bella urged **"Go after her!"**

Edward made sure to keep his distance, but he knew he didn't have to be close, or speak loud for Jake to hear him.

"**Its not safe for her to be riding at that speed in the state of mind she's in" **Jake turned around, with every intention of telling the bloodsucker what really wasn't safe, but the look in his face kept him quiet. He was genuinely concerned. **"I can go with you, help you talk to her and calm her down"**

Jake was actually considering it, he was probably the last person Izz would wanna talk to, seeing him coming after her could cause her to do something reckless in efforts of getting away from him. His first thought was to get the guys to talk to her, especially Leah and Embry, since they were the closest to her, but he would need to phase for that, which meant giving Sam and them a play by play of what had happened. And dealing with them was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment.

Bella's eyes went wide as he began to nod. That was when he felt a touch at his back, which had obviously been meant to be a hard shove.

"**What the hell, Jake!"** Lala was snapping as he turned to her **"Is this how its always gonna be?"** If it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, he would've probably laughed. Lala stepping up to him, was like a kitten stepping up to a pitbull. Kitten with every intention of doing some serious damage to the pitbull **"You're gonna fuck up your relationship with Izz everytime…**_**this one…**_**"** if it hadn't been clear who she was talking about, the death glare towards Bella made it crystal **"…snaps her fingers at you?"**

"**Hey, listen!" **Bella argued

"**Oh, shut up!" **Lala barked** "You've done more than enough damage. No one wants to know hear what you gotta say!"**

Lala was amped up to do some damage, and Bella was quickly becoming the target. Edward and Jake quickly got in the way, Edward blocking Bella with his body, and Jake walking forward, taking Lala along with him.

"**We don't have time for this"** Edward stated **"We need to make sure Izzy is ok" **Alice and Jasper appeared outta nowhere, he wasn't quite sure whether they used vamp speed or snuck up while Jake was dealing with Lala, probably the latter since there were plenty of prying eyes around, but the moment they did, Edward's face drastically changed. The psychic vamp had seen something **"We need to go, Jacob. Now!" **Jacob nodded.

"**Go to class" **he told Lala** "I'll make sure Izz is ok"**

"**Jake, I care about you, kid" **Lala sighed** "And Izz, that's my sister, I love her to death. So it's from the heart that I tell you, unless you're willing to let go of Bella, for good, leave Izz alone, or she's never gonna be ok" **

Her words hurt far worse than any bodily harm she had intended to do to him. Worst part of it, she was right. With a kiss on her forehead, he sent her off to class. It wasn't as easy to get rid of Bella, but Edward's urgency convinced her it was the thing to do.

Ditching their wheels just outside of the school, Edward and Jake ran like hell, knowing that on foot they were much faster than any vehicle.

"**What did she see?" **

They both knew Jake was referring to Alice, also known as the psychic vamp. Hell, the only reason he had bothered to ask out loud was because, for once, the mind-reading bloodsucker wasn't answering his thoughts. That's only meant the answer couldn't be anything good.

"**Its not"** Edward stated. When Jake cocked his brow, the bloodsucker sighed, giving him the worst answer possible **"Victoria"**

Wasn't _that _incentive to run faster? Izz's scent was easy to pick up on, the fact that she was headed towards Seattle, meaning a whole bunch of woods to go through, didn't ease them in the least. Edward's 'sister' must've alerted the others, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Blondie joined them in no time. Their scents were enough to alert the pack something was up, in a heartbeat, 7 wolves joined them.

"**Izz is headed towards Seattle!"** he yelled out to the pack **"The redhead is close!"**

It wasn't much to go on, but enough to alert the pack it was urgent they got to Izz before the redhead did.

"**You picking up on that?" **Emmett's growled .

The snarls that followed, meant they had all picked up on it. Izz's scent was no longer alone. Getting to her was now life and death.

… ******* … ***** … ***** …**

The only thing on Izzy's mind was getting away from Jake. She had no clue where she was going. Only reason she picked one road over the other was because heading in the other direction would've meant going around town in circles, not something she wanted to do. A high speed chase from Chief Swan was not on her to-do list**.**

She was expecting to hear the sound of a motorcycle engine coming behind her, or even the howls of a wolf, she was relieved when all she heard was the silence of the surrounding woods. The relief didn't last too long though, and there wasn't one howl in the background, there were many. _Really? Did the entire pack have to come after her? _Wasn't like she was gonna get lost, or needed them to hold her hand and walk her back home.

Izzy made the motor roar and her bike gave it all it had, showing her it was worth every penny she'd spent. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a white blur zooming by on her left side.

"**Dammit!"**

So, the werewolves weren't alone. _What the hell!_ She wasn't Bella, she didn't need the entire town running after her, making sure she didn't get herself into trouble.

Of course this would all be Jake and Emmett's doing. No way she was gonna be talking to Jake about it, she would just get Sam to order the pack to back off, she didn't need babysitters. Emmett however, he was definitely gonna get an earful.

Rather than having everyone and their mama following her all the way, she was considering pulling over. She had no intention of heading back to town, not just yet, but she was gonna tell them to back off. Izzy needed time, she needed to be alone. She was sure they all had the best intentions, and was grateful to have such good friends, but sometimes the best way a friend can give you're their support, is by letting you handle your issues in your own way, at your own pace.

Izzy let go of the gas, but not by her own will. An icy gust of wind came at her from her left, so powerful it pushed her bike off the road, sending her flying. At the speed she'd been going, slamming against the tree was like hitting a concrete wall, knocking the wind outta her, not to mention her head bouncing like a basketball, the helmet being the only thing that kept it from splitting like a watermelon. She was dazed but was able to open her eyes, looking up, all she saw was green, the trees so tall and thick, the sun didn't reach the ground. Oddly enough she wasn't in any pain. She didn't feel anything. Adrenaline was surely blocking out the pain, or she was in far worse condition that she dared considering. No pain could mean just a few scrapes and bruises, or it could mean complete paralysis. Weirdest thing to come to mind at a time like that, but the only thing she could think of was Ma saying "I told you so".

She sent her body the command to move, amazingly it listened, she spread her hands out, feeling the cold, damp ground beneath her. Slowly her senses came back to her. There was a wet warmth in certain places, accompanied by a rusty-salty smell that invaded her nose. She was bleeding. By the crunch she heard, she had at least one broken bone. As the pain began to overtake her body, she took a few deep breaths to gather the strength to try moving. Lord only knew how far off the road her body had landed, where her bike hand ended up, and how far away the pack and Cullens were.

Suddenly she realized the only thing she could hear was her own breathing, the woods were utterly quiet, eerily quiet. There were no birds chirping, no animals running around, it was a whole lot of nada. She'd spent enough time in the woods with Jake to know there was never complete silence. Something was definitely wrong. As her heart raced, the icy gusts of wind abruptly returned, circling around her in a weird way. She was too dizzy to see anything clear, but she could've sworn a blur had zoomed by. She was about to roll over on her stomach, or at least try to, when an excruciating pain in her right leg caused her to scream in pain.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

He was running faster than he had ever ran before, moving so fast he was practically flying through the woods. The moment Jake had picked up on the redhead's scent, his body wanted to phase, the werewolf in him itching to hunt and kill, but his heart told him not to, Izz would need him in human form. He was amazed he processed the self control to restrain himself and keep his animal side from taking over.

"**Yet you still doubt you've imprinted"** Edward smirked

"**Shut it!" **

"**So stubborn"** Edward shook his head **"You want to lie to yourself and deny that Izzy's needs mean more to you than your own, go right ahead"**

"**Was shut it not clear enough?"**

They were getting closer to Izz, they knew it the moment they clearly heard her voice. The engine rev and cuz meant she had picked up on their presence.

"**Wolf boys isn't the only one whose stubborn"** Alice smirked

"**Remind me to tweak that bike of hers"** Blondie stated **"Too fast for her. She's not durable enough to handle the damage it could do"**

As much as he disliked the blonde, she was right. He didn't mind Izz riding a bike, she knew how to handle herself, but unlike them, she was a normal human girl, and that damn bike, though a beautiful piece of art, was too damn fast for someone who was so fragile and breakable. Maybe it was time to jump on Mary's bandwagon about trading in the bike for a car.

A loud skid made his blood run cold, metal scraping the ground was nearly deafening for him, followed by a bang nearly as loud.

With a rush of adrenaline the wolves and vampires ran faster than before. Jake had to run to Izz's side and seconds seemed to last hours. As if things didn't seem bad enough, Alice's face went blank.

"**No!"** Edward barked

Jake was about to demand for someone to tell him what the hell was going on, they were talking about his girl, dammit, he had a right to know, however he wasn't given the chance. The woods became saturated with the scent of rust, salt and honeysuckle. Izz's blood. Their hissing and growling was no doubt heard in Seattle.

Instantly, Alice was on the phone, probably calling Dr. Cullen. Sam was howling and barking, surely giving orders left and right.

"**You tend to Izzy"** Edward told Jake** "The rest of us will go after Victoria" **Jake nodded **"Carlisle is just behind us"** he stated. Edward glanced towards Sam **"She wont get away with this, bro" **he translated **"We wont rest until she's dead"**

The scent of blood in the air was too thick, the vampires went around it, staying on the left side, following the redhead's trail. Sam and the pack swayed to the right, in hopes of surrounding her and capturing her once and for all. Emmett was the only one who stayed with Jake. Something that couldn't be too comfortable for him.

"**Maybe you should go too"**

"**It doesn't bother me"** Emmett stated. Jake cocked his brow **"Weird, I know"** he admitted **"Maybe its because there's some of me in her blood, but it doesn't appeal to me. Not in the food sense anyway" **

"**Sure, sure"**

Emmett better hope it stayed that way, one wrong look in Izz's way and he would become dust.

"**I would drink your blood before hers"** Emmett smirked** "And canine blood is as appetizing to me as eating glass is to you" **

Izz's motorcycle came into view first, on its side after skidding a few yards, the darn thing intact, nothing but a few scratches on it.

"**She didn't hit the bike"**

That meant Izz was hit directly. The scent of blood came to them from the north, incredibly strong, meaning they were close and she was bleeding heavily. Jake had to handed to the bloodsucker, he didn't seemed bothered by it in the least. Either he really didn't find Izz's blood appealing, or his self control was made of steel.

The pink flower in Izz's helmet was the first thing that stood out to Jake. The green blouse and blue jeans she was wearing made her blend in with the scenery. The blouse had been ripped apart, nothing but shreds left, showing her scraped skin underneath, and the jeans were muddy, the color becoming one with the ground.

Jake ran to her side while Emmett ran to the road, flagging down Dr. Cullen, who was driving up, only a few yards behind.

"**Please be ok"** he whispered, taking her small, cold hand in both of his.

His first instinct was to pick her up and run with her to the nearest hospital, but he knew better that to move her and risk injuring her even further. Whether he liked it or not, she would be better off in Dr. Cullen's hands. He would know what to do, and how to take care of her.

She reached up to him with her right hand, her slender fingers covered in blood.

"**My leg"** she moaned **"It hurts"**

Terror was the only thing Jake could feel. Injured he could deal with, she would get better, everything would be ok. But if she was…

"**Doc!"**

He heard the steps becoming louder as Emmett and Dr. Cullen rushed over, but all Jake could focus on was on the source of all the blood, her right leg. Just above her knee, the jeans were ripped, the material soaked in the wine-colored liquid, a pool forming on the ground.

_Its just a cut. Only a cut. Its nothing else. Oh dear lord, please let it only be a cut!_


	26. Chapter 26

After spending a winter in Forks, Izzy was absolutely certain she knew what cold was. She was wrong. Worst part, was knowing the damp ground and icy breeze had nothing to do with the coldness that took over her body, freezing her to the bone. Jake's touch, which usually sizzled her skin, felt lukewarm. She was also dizzy and lightheaded. Things did not look good.

"**You're gonna be fine" **Jake kept repeating, definitely trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to do her. **"Just stay with me, ok, babe, you're fine"**

There was so much fear and concern in his eyes, she couldn't help but want to comfort him. Problem was her brain wasn't communicating very well with the rest of her body. She tried squeezing his hand, fingers moved but didn't do much else.

Though she tried to look around, she couldn't, she couldn't see what was happening around her, or who was there, but suddenly Emmett came into view. Silent but focused, he maneuvered around Jake's hands to remove her helmet.

"**No head injuries"** he stated

"**That's good"** said a calm and composed voice **"She's moving far too much to have any spinal damage. But it would be best for her to be as still as possible. Jacob, make sure to keep her at rest"**

She wasn't even aware of moving, but now that it was mentioned, the pain in her leg had her wanting to cut the damn thing off.

Jacob nodded at someone, and Emmett ran to their side, which meant that calm voice could come from only one person, Dr. Cullen. Have to say, having a vampire doctor come to your rescue when you're a bloody mess, not too comforting. Too much potential there for the situation to go very, very bad.

The loud ripping sound came outta nowhere, and nearly caused her to jump outta her skin. Jake instantly held her hands and used his elbows to pin her down to the floor. The icy wind hit her wet leg, letting her know her jeans were long gone. And by Jake's growl and Emmett's hiss, the damage was pretty bad.

"**Emmett, her belt!"** Carlisle ordered **"Just above her knee"**

In a movement too fast to register, her belt was gone and the leather was being wrapped around her thigh, the pain so intense she couldn't hold in the cry.

"**She's loosing a lot of blood, Carlisle"** Emmett urged** "We gotta move her fast"**

"**Talk to me, doc!"** Jake growled **"Was she bitten?**

_Bitten? _She couldn't be bitten. That could not be happening. She didn't have a problem with vampires, but she sure as hell didn't want to become one. Involuntarily her body began to spasm, as if she could fight off the terror inside her.

"**Calm down, Izz"** Emmett urged **"You weren't bitten"** Her body slowly halted, but her heart pounded a mile a minute, threatening to come busting outta her chest.

"**She was incised"** Carlisle stated **"The wounds are very deep and the artery was nipped" **none of that sounded good **"We only have minutes to get her to the hospital"**

There was a lot of moving around, but she couldn't feel anything, and her vision was nothing but blurs, couldn't tell if she was being moved or not, everything had been moving to her from the moment she hit her head.

"**You're gonna feel a little sting, Izzy"** Carlisle stated **"Its morphine, it'll help with the pain and it'll put you to sleep"**

Sleep sounded good, sleep sounded real good. She didn't even feel the shot, hell, whats a little needle compare to a tree branch. Suddenly Izzy's body felt like it was in a pool of warm water, soothing, calming and relaxing. The best bath she had ever had in her life. The voices faded and she didn't resist the slumber from taking over. It felt too good giving in.

"**I love you" **

Jake's voice sounded like it was a million miles away, and though it brought a smile to her face, it wasn't enough to hold her.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Her body trembled, and her breathing was shallow and erratic, something the doctor claimed was due to a combination of shock and pain, but when her heart began to slow as she lost consciousness, Jake's serenity went out the window.

"**Do something, Doc!"**

The doctor was racing down the road, his foot stomping the gas pedal as far as it went, the black Mercedes zooming its way to the hospital. Jake was in the backseat, Izz in his lap.

"**Its best if she's unconscious"** Doc stated **"The slower her heart rate, the less blood she looses"**

She had lost far too much already, she needed surgery to close the wounds and a transfusion immediately. Izz was bleeding to death in his arms and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. Doesn't that make you feel useless.

Jake couldn't fathom the thought of loosing her. He couldn't deal with that, couldn't even deal with the possibility, even though it was sitting on his doorstep.

"**Jake"**

Her voice was nothing but a soft whisper, so weak and frail , nothing to do with the strong and invincible girl he knew and loved.

"**Shh"** he smiled, praying she didn't she through his façade. **"Sleep, babe"** he ran his fingers through her mud matted hair **"Everything's gonna be ok"**

"**Promise.. me… something"**

"**Just sleep" **It killed him to see her like that, hurting, struggling, dying. A tear escaped him and his chest felt like a giant, aching knot.

"**Pro…mise….you'll…let go"** she exhaled **"If its…too"**

"**Don't say that, babe" **he cried **"It'll never be too…"**

"…**don't bring me back" **she urged **"I…don't wanna…be…a vampire" **He couldn't say the thought hadn't crossed his mind. But did her rather loose her for good and let her die, or did her loose her and let her live as a vampire? Guess he didn't have to make that decision. Izz didn't want to become a vampire. But could they really sit there and let her die. Truth was, he couldn't. And he was certain Emmett wouldn't be able to do that either.** "Please…promise me"**

"**I promise"**

It was the first time he ever lied to her. He hated doing it, but it wasn't the time to argue with her. Maybe it was wrong of him, but lets keep it real, if you had a chance to save a loved one, keep them from dying, wouldn't you do it, by any means necessary?

The ride to the hospital was nothing more than a couple of minutes, minutes that seemed like years in Jake's mind. Their hospital arrival was a gigantic commotion. Half of the hospital's staff ran to out to Izz's aid, but Carlisle appointed himself as her doctor, kept them on track and rushed her in. There was nothing left for Jake to do but sit in the waiting room. Sit and go crazy.

Emmett had held his own with Izz, but handling other's people's blood was another thing. Knowing he didn't have that kind of self-control, he stayed behind, dealing with the bike, and any evidence that could lead others to figure out Izz's accident had been foul play.

As with all major news in the small town, word about Izz's accident spread like wildfire. Her mom and brothers came running in. Along with half of Forks. Mary ran directly to the nursing station, obviously hoping that as a doctor, she would get more info than he did. Mark and Lala ran in after her. Andy and Bella walked in just a few steps behind and made their way to the waiting room. Charlie, and Billy arrived shortly after, with Sue and Emily. Everyone had questions, questions Jake couldn't answer, couldn't cause he didn't know how to answer. Good thing Edward arrived just in time.

Public story = after an argument with him, Izz got upset, mounted her bike and rode off, speeding down the road. Wanting to calm her down, and afraid she could get hurt, he and Edward went after her, unfortunately her bike was too fast and they didn't catch up to her on time. An animal ran onto the road, causing Izz to swerve in efforts of not hitting it. She lost control of the bike and crashed. Dr. Cullen 'just happened' to be driving to Seattle for a conference, and got there just in time to help.

He had to hand it to the bloodsucker, he was good. Of course after centuries of deceiving naïve humans, he was a pro. Sue, Emily and his dad gave Jake a 'we're not buying it' look, but didn't say a word. They would surely hound him later.

It was over an hour later that they got an update on Izz. Mary had been harassing the nurses nonstop, but hadn't gotten many answers. Everyone stood up and rapidly formed a semi-circle around the doctor.

"**Please tell me she's ok"**

"**We were able to seal the artery in time" **Dr. Cullen nodded** "She needed a transfusion, but she is stable and out of danger. She should make a complete recovery"**

Sighs and exhales of relief were heard all around. For Jake, the good news meant his heart could beat once again.

"**How bad are her injuries?"** Mary asked

"**Her right leg was punctured by a tree branch, nipping the artery. The blood loss was massive, nearly fatal. But fortunately we dealt with it just in time" **The way the doc wiped his exhausted face, Izz had been milliseconds from death.Mary, Charlie and a few other adults got that 'motorcycles are evil' look.No doubt Mary would get rid of Izz's bike once and for all** "Considering the speed at which she was riding, and the amount of force in which her body hit that tree, her other injuries are a miracle"** he smiled ** "Some cuts and bruises, and two broken ribs"**

Doc's glance in Edward's direction was lighting fast, caught by no one but Jake. The way the bloodsucker's face changed, there was a lot more than the doc wasn't telling them. Edward picked up on his thoughts instantly.

"**Jacob, maybe we should get you some fresh air"**

"**And some fresh clothes"** Bella added **"You look a little ghastly" **

He nodded and got up. Only because he wanted the bloodsucker to spill on what his 'daddy' wasn't telling the rest. Quite frankly, Jake didn't give a crap what he looked like. So he was covered in mud, blood and tears, and? He had been through hell and back, mentally and emotionally, a fresh set of clothes wasn't gonna make him feel any better.

While Mary and Charlie discussed the possibility of banning motorcycles in Forks, Jake walked out with Bella and Edward. Andy and Mark were sitting by the door, surrounded by girls that were taking advantage of the moment and getting touchy feely while consoling them. Lala was just outside the door, too busy crying in Chris's shoulder to give Jake a death glare, but Chris was not. If looks could kill, Jake would've been at least 30 feet deep. For once, there wasn't any confrontation from his side, he deserved that look and so much more.

The trio walked over to Dr. Cullen's car, which was now parked in the far end of the parking lot. The streaks of blood on the door handle had a cold shiver running up Jake's spine. He had never had a weak stomach, blood, guts and gore didn't affect him in the least, but when his eyes involuntarily focused on the amount of Izz's blood that pooled on the backseat, his stomach made a few cartwheels.

"**Do you need me to get some salts for you?"** Edward asked

"**No"** he shook his head, swallowing hard. **"I'm good. Now tell me what he was telling you back there"**

Bella looked confused. Of course she had no idea Carlisle had been hiding something. They were all very good at that.

"**Victoria pushed Izzy off the road"**

"**Oh my god"** Bella gasped

His growl was involuntary. Jake knew that redhead had caused the accident, but having it confirmed pissed him off even further.

"**Carlisle was right, to only obtain some cut and bruises after that kind of accident, it truly was a miracle." **Edward stated** "The broken ribs were due to the initial hit. She had two hand-shaped bruises on her side"**

"**What do you mean **_**had**_**?"**

"**Carlisle had to cover them up, make them **_**anything**_** but hands"** Edward answered. Jake understood the reasoning, but thinking of Izz being hurt even further, well lets say the growl was low but definitely heard**. "She was unconscious, didn't feel a thing, Jacob. And you do understand it would've brought up many, many questions, none of which could've been given a believable answer"**

"**He knows" **Bella answered him.

Edward was avoiding eye contact, trying too hard to maintain a cool appearance, pretending to absentmindedly play with Bella's hair. She could be completely blind to her bloodsucker's tells, but Jake wasn't. There was more to the story that Edward wasn't telling him.

"**Spill!"** he barked, startling the hell outta Bella.

"**There was no tree branch"** Edward sighed. Jake's blood boiled. That could only mean one thing **"Victoria stabbed her. Carved a V right above her knee. The cut was deep enough to touch bone, but deliberately done to only **_**nip**_** the artery and not severe it"**

"**She wanted her to bleed to death slowly?" **Bella whispered **"She wanted her to suffer?"**

"**We were right behind her**" he shook his head **"She heard us coming and knew we'd never allow that to happen"**

"**She didn't want to kill her"** Edward stated **"She could've done that, snapping her neck would've been easier and faster"**

"**Edward!"** Bella scolded, smacking the bloodsucker's arm.

"**He's right, though. This was a message"**

Problem was finding out what that message was. That she knew Izz was related to Emmett and important to the Cullens? That she knew Izz was with Jake and important to him and the pack? That she could come in and kill Bella as easily as she got to Izz? What the hell could the message be?

"**Maybe it was just…"** Bella scrunged up her nose** "…wrong place at the wrong time?"**

Before she could get bombarded with arguments of how that was so not the case, Edward's cell buzzed. As he read it, his body went stiffened. So much for it being good news.

"**She got away" **

That redhead was lightning fast, way faster than most bloodsuckers, and had the uncanny ability of escaping. Her power in a sense. But her luck would run out sooner or later, and Jake would be there to rip her limb by limb.

"**Not for long"** he growled.

"**There's more"** Edward's jaw clenched **"They backtracked her scent, seeing how close she had gotten to town"**

"**And?"**

Jake wanted to punch the suave outta the bloodsucker. Why the hell did he have to be so calm and collected all the time? Once, just once he would like to see him freak out about something. They were talking about a psycho leech, who was hunting the girl he supposedly loved, who had nearly killed Izz, who was still out there, doing everything in her power to get close enough to do some damage, and he looks like he's ready for yoga. Jake on the other hand was trembling, growls and grunts escaping him, his blood boiling, his body aching for the hunt, and the need for revenge so desperate, he could almost taste it**.**

He was about to go postal on the bloodsucker when he finally talked.

"**The pack found a V carved on a tree…" **Ok, so now the leech was taunting them. Game on** "Jake…it was just outside of Izzy's bedroom window…"**


	27. Chapter 27

So much for 'wrong place at the wrong time'. Not that they ever believed that for a second. The psycho leech had been watching Izz, who knew for how long, had gotten close enough to hurt her if she had wanted to, and would've gotten away with it cause no one detected her. It didn't matter why she was targeting Izz, point was she was in danger, and all because of them. She had opened up her heart to a bunch of werewolves and vampires, treated them like family, and all it had gotten her was for death to come-a-knockin. That was not gonna happen again. It would never happen again. Jake would never put her in that position again. If it meant Jake would become Izz's shadow, that's exactly what he would do.

As the hours passed, one by one, her classmates, friends, teachers, and nosy bodies that showed up, dispersed, giving Mary, Mark and Andy best wishes for Izz's health before excusing themselves. After Dr. Cullen stated Izz would be out for the night, and urged everyone to go home and rest, most did. Only two people stayed behind, only two spent the night outside of Izz's room.

There was so much going through Jake's mind. Though he was exhausted, in more ways then one, he couldn't manage to shutoff his brain long enough to get a nap in. The sun was rising by the time he finally dozed off. It felt like he'd closed his eyes for just seconds, when a sickly sweet stench burned his nose. As if that wasn't bad enough, suddenly an icy piece of marble brushed against his hand. He jumped up to find Dr. Cullen looking down at him.

"**Follow me"** he whispered, too low for human ears.

The whispering confused him a bit, but he shortly realized the reason. Number one, someone else was in the waiting room, fast asleep, balled up in a chair, looking very uncomfortable. And number two, the nurses at the station, the ones who didn't allow Jake to stay with Izz in her room, though were busy chatting away with a delivery guy, were still within human hearing distance.

Getting past the nurses was quite easy when their sole focus was the UPS guy who didn't seem to mind their not so subtle advances. Once inside Izz's hospital room, to keep nosy bodies from coming around, the lights were kept off, not that either of them needed them to see.

Izz had been cleaned up, and now that the blood and mud was gone, you could easily see the injuries on her velvety skin. The helmet had protected her head and her beautiful face, but there were scrapes all over her arms, bruising and swelling on her hands. He knew for a fact there was more of the same on her chest and torso, hidden under the gown. Her right leg was uncovered, though it was bandaged from knee to thigh, and there was probably some more bandaging around her stomach. There was in IV hooked up to one arm and a blood bag hooked up to the other, monitors all around her beeping away. She looked so small and delicate, so broken.

"**Looks a lot worse than it is"** Doc assured, probably reading his expression

"**How long will she be unconscious?"**

"**She should awaken within an hour or two" **Doc answered** "I gave her enough medications for her to sleep soundly and painlessly through the night. It's the only reason she is still sleeping" **he added** "You can stay here with her if you wish. I gave the nurses precise orders to let her rest until I came in to check on her" **

Jake took a seat next to her, desperately wanting to hold her hand but too afraid of hurting her to touch her. A paper bag appeared before him, Dr. Cullen holding it out to him. He hadn't realized the doc had been holding it until now. Reluctantly, Jake took it. The bag smelled like strawberries and blueberries.

"**Esme knew you would be here and baked you some muffins"** he smiled **"I'll see if I can sneak you in a cup of coffee to go with them"**

Wasn't quite sure what to say to that. The doc evidently understood his mixed emotions and smiled, clapping Jake's shoulder on his way to the door.

"**Dr. Cullen?" **The doc stopped and tuned his way** "How close was it?" **

He didn't need to explain, by the doctor's deep breath, they were on the same page. With a sigh, the doc slowly walked over, his expression changing as he squatted, getting down to Jake's eye level.

"**Jacob, I am going to be completely honest with you"** Jake couldn't keep his heart from going into overdrive. Damn vampires needed to learn how to cut to the chase and dish out the info quickly.** "She flat-lined once. Was gone for a few seconds before we brought her back" ** His heart stopped, felt like someone had punched him in the chest. He had actually lost her. For a few seconds, his Izz had been gone. She had almost lost her life due to a war between vampires and werewolves, and it had been a vampire who had brought her back, back to life, back to a human life. How the hell did she get mixed up in all that crap? The answer was obvious, wasn't it? He was the reason. None other than mister Jacob Black. **"I think we both knew she was dying when we brought her in, but I was willing to do the impossible to keep that from happening. Whether it meant working on her until my fingers turned to dust, or…" **Turn her**. **Apparently changing her had crossed his mind too. **"Allowing her to die, when there was a way I could've avoided it, it was not something I could bring myself to do. Even after knowing she was against it"**Funny how they had arrived at the same conclusion**. "Her death would've been devastating to all of those who love her, especially to you and Emmett" **Her death would've been his death too, his emotional death**. "I couldn't let her die, Jacob" **The doc's sigh gave him much to think about. What was he tiptoeing around?After a few seconds of awkward silence, with a deep breath, he continued. **"When she flat-lined, I took advantage of the nurses' commotion, and my speed, and applied my spit into her open wound without anyone noticing"** WTF? First off, yuck! and second, what the hell was the point of that? His reaction, though silent, must've been loud and clear. **"Our spit is venom, Jacob"**the doc explained **"It heals as it spreads through the blood" **

Jake jumped off the chair. Venom? In Izz's blood? Did that mean… **"What the hell are you trying to tell me?"**

"**It wasn't enough to change her"** Dr. Cullen jumped up, trying to hold him down and calm him **"When a vampire bites a human, just as snakes do, the fangs discharge a large amount of venom. As that venom spreads and takes over the body, it heals any and all injury or disease the human might have. It also causes an incredible amount of pain. The sensation can only be described as being burned alive"** he explained, though the explanation was horrifying Jake even worse. **"The amount of venom that entered her system was nothing more than a drop or two, just enough to give me time, to keep her heart beating until I could get her alone and…"** Bite her. **"I had never heard of anything like that being done before. I was not completely sure it would even work"** he admitted **"I had to try. And I was amazed to see the venom instantly seal the artery. The healing began almost instantaneously and she came back to us"**

Vampire venom had saved Izz. How the hell do you digest that information?

"**Healing" **he nodded** "But what other effects can the venom cause in her system?"**

"**I don't really know" **Doc sighed. At least he was honest. **"What I do know, is that the change didn't happen, so the risk of that taking place can be discarded. Her healing is accelerated, it will take days rather than weeks to return to normal, and the likelihood of scaring is very little" **That all sounded very good. Hopefully there were no cons to the pros**. "The only other possible effects I could think of, would be her senses developing a hyper sensitivity"**

"**You mean like her sight, smell, and hearing? It could become more like ours?"**

"**That is right" **Doc nodded** "But lets not forget touch and taste, and maybe even speed and strength" **Jake had to admit that it still didn't sound too bad. She would be more durable. Couldn't hurt, right?** "We will have to monitor her for a length of time, keep and eye out for any changes, those noticeable to humans and those noticeable only to us" **The sound of sheets ruffling caused Jake to turn. Izz was still sleeping, but not for much longer. Her eyelids were moving rapidly, her breathing intensified, and by the frown when she tried moving, she was beginning to feel the pain. **"I'll leave you two alone now"** Doc smiled **"I'll see about that coffee"**

"**Doc?" **Dr. Cullen paused at the door and half-turned in his direction **"Thanks for everything"**

With a smile and a head bow, the doc slipped outta the room. Jake pulled up the chair as close as it could get to Izz's bed. Carefully, as though she was made out of papier-mâché, he took her hand. The moment his skin made contact with hers, she whispered his name.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Ever seen putty splat against the floor? Izzy could totally relate to the putty. Or maybe she'd been ran over by a semi, twice. Her body felt like it was made out of iron, too heavy to move anything. She probably shouldn't anyways, it was so stiff and sore, even her hair hurt. Good thing was that she didn't feel disoriented or dizzy anymore, though she did feel a little weak.

Faintly, as if she was deep underwater, she began to hear voices, muffled and incomprehensible, unable to tell who it was or what they were saying. Normally, she would do everything in her power to tune in and find out exactly what was going on, but all she could think of was opening her eyes. Such a simple task, yet her brain wasn't registering the request. She was working on that, quite hard, when she felt a blazing heat enwrap her cold hand. Jake.

He was there with her. Her brain couldn't remember simple commands, like opening her eyes, but it certainly registered Jake, his presence became everything her mind focused on, his scent, his warmth, the touch of his skin, the soft sound of his breathing, she could even hear his heart beat, thumping like a tribal drum.

"**Shh"** he whispered. His deep husky voice was crystal clear. Of course, it would be precisely _that_ voice her brain decided to tune into perfectly. She was desperately trying to open her eyes, but he obviously mistook her movement as distress and instantly began to sooth her **"You're ok. You're in the hospital. Everything's ok"**

Hoping that her body would behave if she took it nice and slow, she took a few deep breaths before giving it another try. And what do you know, it worked. She was expecting things to be a bit blurry for a minute, but everything was crystal clear.

Jake's dark gaze was intense, so many emotions in them, it was hard to pinpoint one. His hair was messy, like he'd ran his fingers through it a million times, and though he was wearing a fresh set of clothes, his neck and arms still had residue of dried mud and blood. Her blood. He obviously hadn't showered, which meant he had not left the hospital since her arrival.

She glanced over at the window. The sun was rising, which meant, depending on how long she'd been unconscious, she'd been there, _at least_, almost twenty some odd hours. And she was willing to bet he had yet to eat a thing either.

"**How long have I been out?"**

The sound of her voice startled her. She sounded so clear, so…melodic. She didn't remember her voice sounding like that. Jake didn't seem to notice any difference, or at least didn't react to it. Maybe she had hit her head a lot harder than she thought.

"**About twenty hours"** he answered, keeping his voice low. Either he thought the sound would bother her, or he wasn't supposed to be there. Going by hospital visiting hours, it was probably the latter. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain on her left side caused her to wince and suck her teeth in pain. **"Don't do that"** he urged, instantly slipping his arms around her, sitting her up as if she was a small child **"You have two broken ribs and a stitched up leg. Last thing you need to be doing is moving"**Holding her with one arm, he moved the pillows and arranged her hair with the other. **"How do you feel? Are you in a lot of pain? Do you want me to call Dr. Cullen?"**

It was obvious he was concerned. She knew he cared, she knew he was worried about her, but not for the reasons she wanted to believe. The hopeless romantic in her wanted to believe it was because he loved her. But it was time to reign in that love-crazed fool. In her mind she knew it was all due to guilt. Knowing him, he was blaming himself for her accident. Knowing him, he would use it to push her away.

"**I'm fine. It hurts, but I can handle it"**

Scooting to the edge of the small plastic chair he was sitting on, he reached out his long arm and gently caressed her face, tucking behind her ear, one of the many loose strands of hair. For a moment, he was that sweet kid she'd met almost a year prior. That good, honest, fun-loving kid that's stole her heart with his warm smile. In his eyes she could see everything that made her fall in love with him in the first place. But it was gone in an instant. He pulled back and looked away, his face becoming a mask of detached composure.

"**Look, Izz"**

She knew that tone. It was the same one he'd used when he tried pushing her away after he first phased. She was once again talking to Jacob Black, Beta of the wolf pack, a man who's life didn't include humans, unless it was saving them from vampires, who lived by a different set of rules and believed she didn't belong in his world.

"**So this is goodbye"**

Her words surprised him, he instantly turned , locking eyes with her. Inside her heart was shattering in a million pieces. Inside she was crying like a baby. But she would not break in front of him. Not again**. **

"**Wha…"**

"…**its ok"** she cut him off **"This is all my fault"**

"**How could you…"**

"…**I knew from the beginning that I was walking into a story that was already a few chapters in"** she stated **"I thought I could handle being friends with benefits. Hot guy, nice makeout sessions, a summer of fun and games, right?"** she chuckled sadly **"You were always honest with me, I knew not to expect anything. But your stupid heart has a mind of its own, doesn't it? It decided you were it's owner and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. I fell in love and I fell hard"** No matter how hard she tried to be strong, a tear escaped her, rolling down her cheek and falling into the gown **"My mind knew better, my mind knew what the outcome was gonna be, but my stupid heart was…naïve, wanting to believe I could win your heart and rewrite the ending" **Tears were now rolling down her cheeks and she was so mad at herself for it. She looked into Jake's teary eyes for a second and then looked away**. "Only god knows how much I love you. Only he know what you mean to me" **she sighed** "But you can only push someone away so many times before they stay away. I can't look away everytime you run to Bella's side. I can't pretend that you haven't given up on her. I can't give you 100% of my heart and have it broken time after time because you can only give me 50% of yours"**

"**I'm so sorry" **he breathed** "You don't know how much it kills me to know I hurt you. I love you, I do, but I hate myself for not being able to love you the way you deserve. I hate myself for not being what you need. I know you don't agree with me, but this is for the best, Izz. You are worthy of someone who can cherish and worship you, who can give you a peaceful, normal life, not me, not some dog who's gonna get you killed"**

She laughed darkly.** "You actually think that I'm safer away from you, don't you?" **she shook her head in disbelief** "You being a werewolf has nothing to do with this! Werewolves, vampires and all the crap that goes along with that, its been completely irrelevant to our relationship! At least it has been to me. Yeah, ok, maybe I wouldn't have been attacked if I hung out with normal **_**human**_** kids, but it has nothing to do with why you and I can't be together. That's all about your inability to let go of Bella Swan" **She ran her fingers through her hair, frustrated, she thought about yanking out all the tubes she was strapped to**. "Get this straight, Jacob Black" **The power in her tone surprised her a bit, but she liked it. **" I am not about to let some psychotic vampire on a vengeance quest change who I am and what I do. My life includes werewolves and vampires. Is it dangerous? Of course it is. But some things are worth taking risks. I consider the guys to be family, and I will continue to hang out with Em, Kim, Leah and the pack, just like I have been. That's never gonna change. Emmett **_**is**_** family, and he and the Cullens are in my life for good. You and I being together or not is not gonna change a damn thing! All of these people are a part of my life now and I don't care what anyone has to say about it"**

Just as he opened his mouth, there was a knock on the door, Dr. Cullen sheepishly peaking his head in.

"**I'm sorry, but it is time for your medication"** he apologetically said to her. Thanks to his vamp hearing, he obviously he heard the discussion, or at least part of it **"I can come back in a few minutes"**

"**No that's ok" **she sniffled, wiping her face "**We're done here" **Carlisle slowly stepped inside, evident he would rather not. She turned to Jake and gathered all the strength she had not to start bawling. **"Thanks for…everything, Jacob. I'll be seeing you around I guess"**

Jake stared back. Silent and motionless for what seemed to be forever. With all her heart she wished he would say something, anything, tell her he loved her, tell her they should stay together, tell he its shouldn't be over. Instead he nodded.

"**I'll always be around"**

"**Yeah" **she sighed** "Me too"**

… *****…*****…*****…

How he wished it was him on that bed and not her. The guilt was eating him up alive. He was the reason she was there, he was the reason she got mixed up with werewolves and vampires. He was nothing but a one way ticket to trouble. How could she not see that? How could she not understand that she was a small, delicate human in the midst of a war between supernatural beings? Her life was precious, her life meant everything to him, and if keeping her safe meant breaking her heart, he had to do that. No matter how agonizing it was for him.

Jake had learned the hard way he couldn't be away from her. He knew how much he needed her. Her scent, her touch, her smile, the sparkle of her jade eyes, it was like air to him. Giving it up was the hardest thing he ever had to do. But her life would never be in danger again, not due to him.

She would be graduating high school in a year, would go off to college and probably loose touch with those in LaPush, maybe even all of those in Forks all together. Her life should be about college, a career, falling in love, getting married, having a family, having a normal life, not about treaties between werewolves and vampires, not about psychotic vampires hunting nearby, not about a world she didn't belong in.

Turning around, he stood face to face with the one person he hated for all the wrong reasons. Jealousy sucked. It sucked to know someone was better than you. It sucked to know he was the one she deserved, to know he was the one she was supposed to be with, and it sucked to know that due to you, she wouldn't see it was he who was absolutely perfect for her.

After spending the night in a hard wooden chair, with disheveled clothes and messed up hair, the kid must've been exhausted. Jake couldn't hide his animosity, but gotta hand it to the kid, he didn't even flinch.

"**She's awake" **he informed.He knew what he had to do, even if it was the last thing he wanted. With one step, he was toe to toe with him, looking down his nose at his rival **"You love her? She's yours. You hurt her? I kill you"**

Without giving him a chance to answer, Jake stormed outta the hospital. As the sliding doors closed behind him, he clearly heard Chris walk into Izz's room.


	28. Chapter 28

She wasn't gonna lie, the first thing that came to mind as Jake walked outta her hospital room, was to leave, to get as far away as possible. Or maybe back to San Diego, back to the safety of childhood friends, where no one knew about vampires and werewolves, and there were no daily reminders of what had been and hurt like hell to think about. Izzy had given her heart and soul to Jacob Black, and it would be a long time before she got them back. If ever. But she was not a runner, nah, she was the type to take a stand and fight, and even if it killed her on the inside, she would stay in Forks, she would continue to visit LaPush and hang out with her friends. If she ran into Jake? She would put on an Oscar worthy performance and act casual, as if the past 10 months never happened and he was nothing more than the mechanic friend who taught her how to tune up her bike.

Worst thing about a breakup are those quiet moments when you're alone and the only thing on your mind are reruns of all the moments you shared with that person. If she had been able to go to school, or even if she had been home, she would've found things to distract herself with and keep her from thinking of Jake day and night. But no, she was stuck in a hospital room. All alone while her brothers and friends were at school, and nothing but oldschool sitcom reruns on the tv, she had way to much dead air tormenting her. She cried herself to sleep every night, and often found herself crying without realizing it. Even with Ma walking in and out of her room constantly, making sure she was ok physically as well as emotionally, Izz y considered the few hours she had alone to be too much.

Since it was the end of the school year, there weren't even any assignments to do. The teachers were nice enough to allow her to take her finals at the hospital, but that took all but one day, and she was stuck there for a week. Week in which Emmett and Rosalie spent all morning at the hospital with her, occasionally stepping out so Emily, Sue and Billy could visit. In the afternoons, her brothers would drop in for a bit, Lala would stay whenever she didn't have to babysit her little brother, and Chris, he was there every day, from the moment school let out until visiting hours were over. Alice usually was there with them too. Edward and Esme dropped in a few times. And Jasper, he visited once. For about a minute. He didn't do well in hospitals.

Leah and the guys would drop in at all hours of the night, sneaking into her room without any difficulty. Whether is had been a request from their Beta, or an order from their Alpha, not one ever mentioned Jake. Something Izzy couldn't be more grateful for.

The day after her accident, everyone had met up in her room, werewolves (minus Jake) on one side, vampires on the other. Her accident was discussed, from Victoria, her attack, the taunting and constant returns, to the consequences of the attack. Lets say finding out Izzy had been a goner and was saved by vampire venom, didn't set too well with the wolves, or Emmett and Rosalie. One good thing did come out of the whole mess. Though they would probably never see eye to eye, or be friends, for once, the werewolves and vampires would be working together. The town would be patrolled at all times, on both sides of the treaty line, and until Victoria was no more, Bella and Izzy would be closely guarded, ALL THE TIME. _Yay for being babysat! Not!_

It was bad enough that Dr. Cullen was poking and prodding her all the time, checking for changes that she didn't see happening. Her hearing was a lot better, she could sometimes hear conversations being held down the hall, and her sense of smell was off the chain, she could pick up on someone's scent even before they walked in the room. Rosalie and Alice claimed her hair was thicker and fuller, but not something that would be noticeable to most humans. The healing was definitely at lightning speed, the bruises and scratches were gone in less than 48 hours, as was the pain. Her broken ribs were healed within a couple of days, and her leg didn't have anything but a slight pink line above her right knee. But all of that was noted the first day, she didn't see the reason to keep up the poking.

Keeping up the charade of a broken patient for a week, so no one would suspect a thing, wasn't too fun. She almost did some cartwheels of joy when Dr. Cullen finally discharged her, enabling her to go home. Having visitors on a constant basis would've normally annoyed her, but a time when she needed all the distractions possible, she welcomed it.

By the time she got home, finals were over and most girls were going prom-crazy, including Lala, who had been raving about her dress, and Seth's matching tux for days. After everything that had happened, prom was the last thing on Izzy's mind, but Alice had pestered her day and night until she unwillingly agreed to go. Originally, Jake was supposed to be Izzy's date, not gonna happen anymore, but Chris had no problem stepping up to the plate. As a matter of fact, the prom thing had been a tag team effort between him and Alice, and how could Izzy say no to him after he had been there for her unconditionally.

The prom dress she had bought in Seattle during her shopping trip with the girls, was a black, strapless wraparound, ending at her thigh, showing off her legs with the black velvet, 5 inch heels that went with it perfectly. Now that she was supposed to be injured, heels were outta the question, as was a short dress. Of course Alice had no problem finding her another dress. How the little pixie found out her dress and shoe size, no one will ever know, but she certainly did. In a box nearly bigger than her tiny figure, was a beautiful emerald-green satin dress, strapless with a mermaid bodice that fit Izzy like it had been custom cut for her. And the matching ballerina slippers felt like she was walking on air. They were perfect.

Dressed and ready to go, Izzy spun in front of the mirror, hoping that she could play the part well, appearing as happy and excited as she was supposed to be.

"**You look good"** Leah's voice nearly gave her a heart attack **"Sorry"** she laughed, giving Izzy a hug. As was her usual attire when she was doing runs, Leah was wearing old cut-off sweat shorts and a tank top. Without a drop of makeup, messed up hair, and barefoot, she still looked beautiful. If anyone could rock the modern cavewoman look, it would be her **" Didn't mean to startle you"**

"**Yes you did"** Izzy mockingly scolded** "Otherwise you would've used the door" **she placed her hands on her hips** "And why is it that you guys insist on using the window?"**

"**Force of habit" **Leah shrugged** "Faster too" **Izzy shook her head as they sat on the bed. Leah was probably the one person who knew exactly how she was feeling, and even though they had always been good friends, they had gotten a lot closer. As they always did, they caught up on the daily news (which were edited for a Jake-free edition), the runs, the guys, and the everyday topics and issues of being girls, including the prom. **"Thought you weren't going"**

"**I wasn't" **she puffed** "Not like its **_**my**_** prom, I always have next year. But Alice wouldn't leave it alone and I just wanted to shut her up so…here I am"**

Leah rolled her eyes.** "Seth's been getting ready for hours" **she smirked** "He's so nervous I can hear his heart from a like away"**

"**That's so cute"**

"**Yeah" **Leah smiled** "He and my mom should be here in a little bit"**

"**Your mom?"**

"**You didn't think she would let him go to prom without taking hundreds of pictures, did you?"**

They laughed out loud.** "I bet you guys have been on his case all week, ha?"**

"**Of course" **Leah said matter-of-factly.

After a couple of minutes, Leah heard Sue's truck approaching. Though they could hear the guys running around downstairs, Andy laughing at Mark and his friend while they tried to tie bows and complained about tight shoes, the girls decided it was time to go. Leah got up and walked to the window, with every intention of jumping out.

"**I have a front door"**

"**Easier, faster, remember?"** Leah smiled [b[**"Besides, don't you think your bros are gonna be a little confused to see me come down when they never saw me coming up?"**

"**You're giving them too much credit" **she chuckled** "If doesn't involve them personally, they only notice about 50% of what happens around them"**

Laughing, Leah slipped on a pair of Izzy's slip on vans and they walked out of the room and down the stairs. As Izzy had expected, no one seemed to noticed Leah's sudden appearance. They were helping Mark and his friend with their bowties, when Seth came in, Sue right behind, snapping away with her camera. She was putting in the second roll when Chris and Lala walked in. Lala was looking very cute in a floor length dress in shiny silver satin. Chris looked very sexy in an all black tux with green accents, perfectly matching Izzy's dress. In his hand was a white Lillie corsage. He had _Alice_ written all over him and she couldn't help but smile.

"**Look at you"** she smiled as he slipped on the corsage **"Alice did a great job"**

"**That obvious, ha?"** he laughed. He stood behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist for Sue to take a picture **"You look absolutely gorgeous" **he whispered in her ear **"The image of perfection as always"**

His flattery was not something new, he always flirted, but it somehow seemed different. A lot more serious than playful. And that made her feel uncomfortable. She and Jake were over, there was no reason to feel guilty over getting male attention, but she couldn't help it, it felt so wrong. Luckily Sue and her pictures kept the moment from becoming awkwardly tense.

Lining everyone up for hundreds of pictures in many, many poses, Sue clicked away. Ma had to work, but Sue had obviously been appointed as the photographer, claiming to have to take twice as many pictures since she was doing it for Ma as well. Guess getting doubles never crossed anyone's mind. After the second roll was done, Seth, very politely, sent her on her way.

"**Get ready for more pictures"** Leah whispered. Izzy cocked her brow in confusion **"Car just parked in your driveway" **Ma leaving work early was highly unusual, but it was Mark's senior prom, maybe she was using her lunch break to run over for a looksee. Leah appeared to be frowning, but by the way Seth slightly tilted his head to the side, they were picking up on something **"Its not your mom"**

Izzy was about to ask what was up when the front door opened. D walked in, throwing his duffel bag towards the hall closet. He looked at the dressed-up kids gathered in the living room and smiled. He had been at the police academy in Shelton, and though it was not nearly as hard as having him away while he was overseas, they still had missed him. Mark, Andy and Izzy ran to hug him.

"**Prom night, ha?"**

"**You know it"** Mark smiled deviously

D looked at Izzy, and took her arm, spinning her around **"I do not remember giving you permission to grow up" **he complained before smiling** "Where did my baby sister go?"**

"**Imma take that as a compliment" **she smiled** "And I'm still here. Not really a baby anymore, but I'll always be your little sister" **

"**We're gonna talk later about that accident of yours" **he whispered in her ear as he hugged her.

Of course D would want every last detail about the accident. Having that talk scared her a little, he was very perceptive and it would definitely be a lot harder to fool him and get him to swallow the story they had concocted for the general public. As long as he didn't insist on seeing her wounds, everything _should_ be ok. Hopefully. Without giving her a chance to say anything, he went on to hug Andy, asking him about his plans for the night. Since sophomores weren't allowed to attend the prom, Andy was heading to Port Angeles for a group date with some friends from school.

As Andy and Mark introduced and or reintroduced D to the rest, Izzy noticed Leah was frozen solid. Her body tense, her expression blank as she stared at D. Seth on the other hand was smiling away, as if he had an inside joke no one else was in on.

"**Are you ok?"**

Leah didn't answer. She just stared at D. Izzy was connecting the dots when D walked over. When the biggest smile in the world crossed Leah's face, it all came together. OH. MY. GOD!

"**Hey, I'm D"** taking her Leah's hand, D's flirtatious smile was gleaming and Leah blushed. She actually blushed **"And you are?"**

"**Leah Clearwater"**

"**Got any plans tonight, Leah?" **It was kinda funny to see her get all flustered and coy. This was Leah they were talking about. It probably didn't help that everyone was staring with mouths wide open **"As you can see, everyone's heading out and having dinner alone isn't as fun as it sounds" **he smiled** "What do you say?" **Leah looked down at her clothes and her face dropped. D was not they type of guy to care if she was wearing a couture gown and heels or sweats and sneakers, but Leah couldn't possibly know that. **"We can order a pizza and pop in a dvd" **he suggested **"Or if you don't feel comfortable being all alone with me here, we can go out. I'm sure you can borrow some of Izz's clothes, right sis?"**

"**My closet is your closet, Lee" **she smiled.

It didn't take much to convince Leah. With a hug and a whispered 'thank you' she ran up the stairs to Izzy's room, where she would shower and get ready. With a 'get outta here' look, D sent everyone on their way. As Mark and Chris worked out who went with who in what car, Seth and Izzy shared a look. Leah imprinting? On D? No one saw that coming. Definitely not Leah. Comes to show you never know what surprise is just around the corner.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Leah was supposed to run in, check on Izz and run back out. _Supposed to_ being the key phrase. It had been nearly an hour.

Izz and Leah had girl talk everyday. Though Izz had plenty of girl talk with Lala and her friend Ariel, who called her every night, it wasn't quite the same as it was with Leah, since she was the only person she could be 100% honest with. Leah never brought up his name, and Izz never asked about him. Ever. Didn't keep him from listening in for it. It didn't surprise him when it wasn't mentioned, but it still hurt.

Jake hadn't talked to Izz since he left her hospital room, and though they hadn't been face to face, he couldn't say he hadn't seen her. He had vowed to become her shadow in order to make sure she was safe, and that's just what he had become. Whenever he didn't have rounds, he was hiding in the trees outside her house, outside her bedroom window, watching her, guarding her. The pack didn't understand him, called him many things. The all around consensus was that he was idiot for letting her go, constantly telling him to leave her alone, to let her be. That was never gonna happen. Until he was absolutely certain she was outta danger, he would always be by her side. Even if she didn't know it. Though they didn't agree with his decision, Leah, Seth and Embry understood his need to make sure she was safe at all times. They took turns watching her, or visiting with her so he could get in a few hours of sleep.

Watching Izz was bittersweet. He loved her and having her so close yet so far away was agonizing. Hearing her shallow breaths of air as she slept, was relaxing. Honeysuckle taking over the earthy scent of the woods as her sweet scent drifted from her window, was calming. Hearing her laugh as Mark told her all about his escapades with his new girl, was a nice change of pace. But witnessing how she got closer and closer to Chris, heartbreaking. Everytime he showed up at her house, everytime he called her beautiful, everytime he made her laugh, everytime he touched her, Jake had to control himself and not run in there and rip him apart. But nothing was a bad as the nights. Nights in which she cried herself to sleep. Nights in which his name escaped her beautiful lips as she dreamt.

Maybe going through that torture was his way of punishing himself. It was his fault she had been attacked, and it was his fault she was hurting now. He deserved to suffer. Maybe that was the reason he couldn't leave even though he knew Leah wasn't coming out. Seeing Izz heading out to prom, looking too beautiful for words, with Chris's arm around her, as they head out for a memorable night together, the punishment couldn't be any crueler.

It appeared that Leah had imprinted. It was the only reasonable explanation for her behavior. It was certainly interesting, especially that it happened to be with Izz's brother, but he was a cool guy, Leah deserved to be happy, and Jake was happy for her. But he couldn't get his mind off of Izz.

Alice and Jasper were gonna be at the prom, Izz didn't need any other babysitters around. The best thing to do would've been to run off. But it was too late. The sweet scent of honeysuckle, scent unique to her, which was so incredibly intoxicating to him, hit him like a ton of bricks. His willpower was not that strong, he couldn't move, his eyes turned to her as she walked out, her jade eyes brilliant under the moonlight.

Like a pathetic looser, he sat back and watched as the joyful group got into their cars. Just as the white Honda drove off, Izz turned directly into the black space that hide him, directly at him, though there was no possible she could see him.

Why he followed the cars, why he watched them walk in the gym of Forks High, and why he spent hours outside, trying to pick up Izz's voice, trying to figure what she was up to and what was happening between her and Chris, well, it couldn't be explained since it made no sense at all.

"**Alice is willing to get you a suit if you want to crash the prom"**

It didn't surprise Jake that he didn't sense Jasper until he was right behind him. Not so much because he was distracted spying on Izz, but because the vamp was a pro.

"**I was just leaving"**

"**As you wish. You have cell number if your change your mind"** Jasper answered. Jake nodded. When Izz had agreed to allow Emmett and the Cullens into her life, Alice had insisted, they exchange numbers, to make things easier on everyone. From the corner of his eye, Jake saw Jasper take a few steps before turning back. **"Jacob?"** they turned towards each other **"Do you know what my talent is?"** Jake nodded. **"Feeling other people's emotions is a burden I have had to carry for over a century. Knowing I can help in some way makes up for it sometimes"**

Jake frowned. What the hell was all that about?** "You getting somewhere with this?"**

"**You love Bella, Jacob. That is undeniable. But you are in love with Izzy. The longer you spend lying to yourself about that, the longer you will spend hurting yourself. And more importantly, the longer you'll spend hurting her"**

He wanted to argue, but the bloodsucker was long gone. Being apart hurt them both. But he was a werewolf. He would always be a werewolf. His life would always consist of vampires, battles, and constantly balancing on the thin line of life and death. Other werewolves had imprinted, had mates, would live and die for them and their safety, but unlike Em and Kim, Izz was not the type to stay home and stay safe. Nope, she was the type to be right in the middle of all the action, along side a bunch of werewolves and vampires she would die for.

Where the others right? Should he finally admit that he was in love with her? Should he finally admit that she was his imprintee and that they should be together because that's how it was meant it to be? Or was he right? Was staying away from her the best thing for her? Wouldn't giving in, and running back to her because he needed her, regardless of how much danger he could put her life in, make him a coward and a selfish bastard? When you're heart and your head are at war, which do you listen to, what do you do? Do you do what you should do? Or do you do what you wanna do and your heart insists you _have _to do?


	29. Chapter 29

Distance and time heals all wounds. Heard it a million times, but whether it was true or not, didn't make much difference to him. 15 miles from LaPush to Forks was not much distance, not that he was ever more than a few feet away from Izz. And time? It had only been two weeks.

Turns out love was in the air in LaPush, werewolf style. The guys couldn't be happier about Leah imprinting on D, mostly because she was a lot calmer, a lot happier, and _a lot_ more easier to deal with. It took her a couple of days to work up the nerve to have the 'talk' with him, but it all worked out fine. D's reaction shocked the hell outta her, acting as if she had simply told him she was a lefty, accepting her as a werewolf without missing a beat, proving that imprinting must work both ways to some extent. Since D already kept it cool with the pack, accepting them as well was easy, and it was a good thing he fit right in LaPush because he and Leah were now inseparable.

The only problem D had with finding out about this whole other world that was kept a secret to most, was not the existence of mythical creatures or the danger of it all, but that his little sister had known all along and kept it from him. Finding out that Izz was not only waist deep in the werewolf pool, but in the vampire one as well, lets just say it was very hard on him. The relationship between them was definitely strained at the moment, only speaking to each other when they had to, to keep appearances. Though Izz didn't do anything wrong since it wasn't her secret to tell, D believed she would trust him with everything and anything, and finding out otherwise, really hurt his feelings. Leah was trying to work with him on that.

Yet another problem in Izz's life that had been caused by the presence of vampires and werewolves in her life. _ Fucking awesome!_

The other imprinting caused a real upheaval within the pack. It wasn't because it was none other than Quil's, but because the horn dog that thought of nothing but girls, 24/7, imprinted on a 2 year old, Claire, Emily's little cousin. Though there were legends that spoke of such a thing, they couldn't deny that it sounded creepy, and that from the outside, it looked totally depraved. But from the inside, they knew Quil had nothing but pure feeling for Claire. His love for her and their bond was platonic. He would never hurt her physically or emotionally, and he would always be anything she needed him to be, a brother, a friend, a confident, and a lot more as she got older. But for time being, his major role would be of babysitter, which he was thrilled about. As long as Claire was happy and safe, Quil was satisfied with his life.

The whole werewolf/imprinting thing seemed a lot easier for natives to deal with and accept, probably because they had been hearing the stories all their lives. It was just a matter of realizing all those times the elders had sat at bonfires, speaking of spiritual warriors, magic, cold ones, and their battles, it hadn't been a bunch of superstitious mumble jumble, but a lessons on their history. Claire's mom was surprisingly ok with Quil's attachment to her daughter.

Though both imprints seemed to be on the right track to a happy ending, Quil's obviously taking a lot longer path, the pack was worried. According to legend, imprinting was a rare event that most of them would never experience, but with half of the pack now imprinted, that theory seemed to have gone out the window. If imprinting was not as rare as they believed, it was be possible they would all experience it at some point, meaning they should shun normal relationships to avoid hurting innocent bystanders, the way Sam had done with Leah.

Embry and Paul had no problem with the 'no serious relationships' rule, claiming flings were a lot more fun and exciting. Normally, they would've considered Seth a bit young to worry over, but there was Lala, which made things a bit concerning. Though she would be leaving to Seattle the following year, and odds were their relationship would wither and end at that point, there was still a year for all kinds of things to happen, which meant the kid had to make sure not to allow things to get too serious, and under no circumstances make promises he might be forced to break later. That only left Jake. He tried to use the situation to his advantage, claiming there was yet another reason to stay away from Izz. The pack didn't agree, and once again his feelings for her were topic of discussion.

Jake didn't know what they wanted from him. They asked him to let her be, and he had. He stayed away, putting Embry, Leah and Seth in charge or watching over her. If they happened to be at the same place at the same time, he'd run out the back door as she entered the front, and though he'd ran by her house a few times, he never lingered. Prom night had been the last time he had sat outside her window.

The problem was his brothers had direct lines to his thoughts, they knew Izz had become an obsession to Jake, and they wouldn't drop the subject. He couldn't help it if she was the first thing on his mind when he woke, the last when he slept, or every other thought in between. What of it if he missed her with every molecule in his being. So what if being away from her was killing him, slowly, torturously. He could live with it. He would live through anything as long as she was safe and happy. _'But she's not happy'_ they constantly argued. But he had to believe she would be.

The graduation at Forks High would be the first time Jake and Izz would see each other eye to eye after the accident. Charlie had invited Billy and him to cheer Bella on, and knowing them, they'd wanna sit next to Mary, Andy and Izz, who'd be there for Mark. Jake was so nervous he couldn't sit still as they drove there, his leg shaking so bad, his dad get giving him dirty looks.

"**You're making the whole truck shake, Jake"**

"**Sorry"** though the leg didn't stop.

His dad shook his head and sighed **"Remind me again why you're putting yourself through this"**

The death glare only made his dad laugh, which pissed him off more. Thank goodness they were already pulling up to the school's parking lot, and Charlie was there, waiting for them, not giving them a chance to have that discussion, again.

Charlie had saved them seats, and as expected, they were right next to Mary, who was accompanied by D, Andy, and Seth. Izz however, was sitting with Lala and Chris, a few rows away, with the Cullens.

Though he knew he shouldn't, Jake did everything in his power to make eye contact with her, but it was useless. Not once did she ever turn his way. With some lame excuse, he ran out of the ceremony instantly after it ended, before the commotion of congratulatory hugs erupted and it was too late to stop himself from doing something stupid. Being in the same room with her, seeing her, sensing her, smelling her, hearing her, it was a lot, but having her within reach, he would've never been able to stop himself from wrapping his arms around her. And probably never letting go.

He threw his shirt, shoes and socks in his dad's truck and ran into the woods, phasing as soon as he was deep enough in its green abyss. Almost instantly, Embry's voice filled his head.

"_**You know, the harder you struggle to pull away, the stronger the pull's gonna be to yank you back"**_

"_**Yes, Doctor Phil"**_

"_**You know I'm right" **_Embry chuckled_** "You're obviously set in this stupid idea of…" **_Jake's growl caused Embry to laugh_** "What I'm trying to say, is I think it'll be a lot easier on you, on both of you, if you stop avoiding her and just treat her like a normal friend"**_

His first though was to go after Embry and pounding him until it stopped being amusing. But after letting the thought set in, maybe he was right. The longer he stayed away from Izz, the bigger his need was to see her. Maybe small doses of Izz from time to time would create some kind of tolerance, helping him let her go and allow her to move on without the threat of him finally breaking and going after her.

"_**You might be right" **_Embry's shock almost made him laugh_** "Maybe avoiding her isn't the right way to go about it" **_Jake stated_** "Tell Quil to be ready at eight, we have a party to go to"**_

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

Funny how you threaten you eyes to poke them out with hot irons if they don't obey, and they listen. Though it seemed like the two longest, most agonizing hours ever, she got through the graduation ceremony without turning in Jake's direction, not once, not even for a little peak.

As the ceremony slowly came to an end, Izzy realized she would have to go congratulate Mark, which meant going over to her family, who was sitting with Jake. Her heart pounded, her hands got all sweaty, and she was beginning to get a little queasy. It was all too much to handle, she finally made up her mind to make a run for it, but she turned to realize he had beaten her to it, Jake was long gone.

She should've been used to those episodes by now. She went through them everytime she sensed Jake nearby. Whenever she visited Billy, whenever she hung out at Emily's, whenever they accidentally happened to be at the same place at the same time. Though he always managed to run out before they actually saw each other, the thought of being face to face with him terrified her. She knew she would never be strong enough to play it cool and act as if nothings wrong. How stupid would she look if she cried, or threw her arms around him?

The cap throwing, pictures, and congratulatory hugs went by pretty fast. Fortunately, before any Jake question were thrown her way, Alice showed up, claiming she needed Izzy's help setting up for the graduation party they were throwing that evening. And since she had already planned to get ready at the Cullen's, Izzy waved goodbye as she was pulled away by the little pixie.

The 'helping out' excuse was a huge lie, of course the Cullens had already taken care of everything, turning the usually stylish and elegant house into a chic nightclub every Forks teenager could only dream of attending. The furniture had been taken out, leaving a large area open, which of course would be the dancefloor, the dj equipment already set up in the corner. There were lots of lights and streamers, and it wouldn't surprise her if there was a fog machine somewhere. The dining room was filled with enough food and drinks to put a buffet to shame, all of it brought from the best catering service in Seattle.

Izzy helped out Alice and Rosalie pick out the music, since her taste in music was a lot more contemporary, and after an afternoon of playing dress-up Barbie, Izzy being the human Barbie, it was time to really get ready. Using Alice and Jasper's room, Izzy took a shower and walked out to a pair of black leather, thigh-high boots, a plaid miniskirt, a black blouse, and matching lingerie, far too sexy for her liking.

"**I got these for you last time I went shopping"** Alice smiled. Since the pixie was always shopping, who knew when that had been** "I envisioned you wearing it tonight"**

"**Thanks"** Izzy smiled. Playing dress-up with Rosalie's clothes was one thing, having clothes bought for her was another. She felt a little embarrassed and uncomfortable with the idea, but knew it was useless to argue with the pixie **"I love it"**

With a huge smile, she pranced her way to the door.** "Get dressed. Rosalie and I will be back in a few to do your hair and makeup"**

Again, telling her she could do all that herself came to mind, but it seemed like it would hurt their feelings. Instead, she just nodded.

The outfit fit her perfectly, of course. And sitting back while others did her hair and makeup, wasn't as bad as she expected. It was like being at a luxury spa. She was all done when Edward walked in, claiming they had a few minutes until guests began to arrive. Alice pulled Bella in just a moment later. Izzy instantly got up to get out of the room.

"**Sit"** Alice told Bella, pushing her into the chair Izzy had been **"We don't have much time to get you **_**acceptable**_** for the party"**

Izzy though she would be able to get away. She was wrong. Though Rosalie had shoved Edward out of the doorway, and Alice had ran into the bathroom for something, it was Bella who ruined her plan.

"**Izzy?" **_Damn it!_ She turned without answering**. "You are part of this family. And well…I will be a Cullen too. Very soon" **As was her habit, Bella was fiddling with something, her sweater at the time being** "I think it will be a lot easier on everyone if we tried to get along" **By that of course she meant if Izzy gave up on the idea of killing her** "Please?"**

"**Look, Bella, I cant look at you and pretend you're not a major factor in me not being with the guy I'm in love with" **Not what she wanted to say, but it slipped out. **"I can't pretend not to be pissed at you for hurting Jake, for using him to try and get over your breakup with Edward, for giving him false hopes he still can't let go of, for pulling him back to your side everytime your life in vampireland gets too crazy and you need a dosage of humanity" **Again, TMI, but she couldn't seem to hold it in.** "I understand you love Jake, but you cant half-ass it, if you can't love him enough, so why keep pulling him back?"**

"**Its not my intention" **Bella's eyes were watery, and Izzy was afraid she too would start crying. **"He's my best friend, he'll always be that. I don't wanna lose him. But Edward is my soulmate. As you are Jake's. And I've told him that"**

It was not the time nor the place to have that conversation. And if she ruined her makeup, Alice would kill her. Izzy sighed as she squared her shoulders.

"**I can't promise you we'll be friends, Bella, cause that's probably never gonna happen. But we can be civil"**

"**More than I expected" **Bella smiled**, **causing Izzy to chuckle** "Can I give you my opinion on something?" **Izzy cocked her brow** "Chris seems like a great guy but…"**

"…**he's not Jacob" **Alice finished, wiggling her brows** "He might smell like a wet dog…" **she cringed her nose** "…but I do have to admit wolfboy is gorgeous" **Bella and Izzy looked at her with wide eyes **"What?" **she giggled **"I'm not blind" **They couldn't help but laugh. **"Jacob is…"**

"…**an idiot" **Lala snorted as she walked in the room** "Izz gave him a chance and he messed it up. It's time she gives it a try with Chris"**

"**I agree with Red" **Rosalie added, walking in behind. **"Your life would be a lot more normal, **_**safe**_**, with Chris" **she whispered in her ear, too low for others to hear before returning to her normal voice level**" Chris is a good choice. As far as Forks goes"**

"**We are **_**so**_** not having a poll over who I should date!" **she snapped

"**She's right" **Emmett exclaimed as he marched in with Jasper** "She shouldn't date anyone"** Obviously they had been hearing the discussion **"She has plenty of time for that later"**

"**I think none of our opinions matter" **Jasper stated, joining in a conversation for once. Most seemed as surprised at that as Izzy was** "Her heart has chosen. Some time ago"**

"**Which means Jacob wins the poll" **Edward smiled as he peaked in** "But as much as Izzy is **_**dying**_** to continue this discussion, its go time. Our guest are here"**

So Lala wouldn't notice the vamps go into warp speed, getting the party started, Izzy sent her on a wild goose chase through Alice's bathroom, looking for a bracelet she would never find. After a few minutes, they were in the living room, standing under blinking lights, surrounded by a few dozen teenagers as the music thumped.

Once Andy got there, he took over the dj booth, allowing Rosalie to join Emmett as he scared the hell outta the kids with his mere presence. Mark, Seth and Chris arrived together, and after saying hello, they ran to dining room, where they immediately began scarfing down appetizers.

Izzy and Lala were hanging out by the stairs, bobbing their heads to the music, having small talk with a few here and there, and watching as the house filled up with every teenager in Forks. With an annoyed look on her face, Alice waltzed up to them.

"**No one is dancing"** she complained

"**Give them a minute"** Lala chuckled **"They're busy ogling the infamous Cullen house. They'll dance when they get done with that"**

"**We'll get the dancing started if we have to" **Izzy promised** "It only takes one person to dance to get the others going"**

Izzy was facing away from the front door, Alice and Lala looking over her shoulder everytime someone walked in. But when Alice suddenly giggled as she look over to the right, through the window, were all you could see was a whole bunch of green, Izzy was a bit confused. But then again this was Alice, normal behavior was not in her dna.

"**You think Bella invited Jake?" **Lala asked**. **Question of the day. Everyone knew his attendance was a possibility but no one had brought it up** "I mean he's her best friend, right, she could've"**

"**I hope not" **Izzy sighed** "I'm not sure I can handle that. Him, here, Chris here too, hell no"**

"**Oh" **Lala laughed** "You are **_**so**_** screwed, my friend"**

Izzy cocked her brow in confusion** "And **_**why **_**is that?"**

"**Because wolfboy just walked in" **Alice smiled** "And I gotta say, the kid cleans up real good"**

You could literally hear the record scratch inside Izzy's head. Ever so slowly, as if speed would somehow change the outcome, she turned around. There he was, dressed all in black, boots, jeans, a t-shirt that did nothing to hide his perfect muscles beneath, and a leather jacket that made him look incredibly sexy.

With Quil and Embry at his sides, the trio walked in, getting the attention of every female in the room. And the envious death glares of the males. Though they were surely uncomfortable being there, they wouldn't be the wolves she loved if they weren't a little cocky, acting like they owned the place. Jake ran his fingers through his wet, spiky hair, something he did when he was uneasy, and somehow made him look totally irresistible.

She sighed, not realizing she had been holding her breath all along. As if her deep intake if air had called his attention, his head instantly snapped up, his midnight eyes directly on her, locking with hers. _Oh dear lord!_ How the hell was it possible for her heart to go slower and faster at the same time?

She was in another world, reason she didn't notice Chris coming up behind her until his arms were snuggly around her waist, his chin on her shoulder.

"**Having fun?"**

She couldn't take her eyes off Jake as he bared his teeth, his hands curling up in fists at his sides, his body trembling so bad he was nearly blurry, leaning forward, balancing his huge form on the balls of heels feet, ready to launch. And as if that wasn't bad enough, his eyes set on Chris. It was the first time Izzy ever though of Jake as an animal. Chris didn't stand a chance.

Then her world stopped. A growl erupted from Jake' chest, so primal, so gruesome, it chilled her to the bone, nearly causing her to scream.


	30. Chapter 30

The howl had been horrific and deafening. To her. Confusion washed over Izzy as the partygoers went on about their business, not noticing a thing. She would've thought she'd been hearing things, if it wasn't for the way Quil and Embry instantly stood between Jake and them. And if there was need for further proof, Seth, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Edward appearing outta nowhere, no doubt ready to reign in a wolf gone postal, was more than enough.

Embry was facing her and Chris, keeping his eyes on them as he turned his head slightly. Though his lip hardly moved, it was obvious he was talking to Jake. Unfortunately, Izzy's hearing was not as acute as she would've wanted, she couldn't hear what Embry was saying, but whatever it was, it was working. Jake didn't look too happy, but he loosened up, the fit obviously over.

A catastrophe had been avoided, Chris's life had just been saved, and the guy didn't even know it, smiling away as he enjoyed the party.

With the danger gone, her worry was replaced by anger. How dare he react that way over seeing her with Chris! Was it not him who pushed her away? Was it not him who constantly chose Bella over her? Was it not him who made the decision, all on his own, the he shouldn't be a part of her life? It has _he_ and not her, who caused their breakup. He had no right to get mad over anything she did or didn't do!

If it wasn't because there was a house full of witnesses, and it would potentially cause Chris to end up broken somewhere, she would've marched over and given Mr. Black a piece of her mind. But who was she kidding? The shallow and immature teenager inside her was thrilled over Jake's jealousy. It was flattering and exciting to know she could cause such a reaction in him.

"**You ok?"** Chris asked. Unaware of the danger he had been in.

"**Mmm hmm" **

Chris mistook the tension in her body as a reaction to his hug, removing his arms instantly. His happy demeanor didn't falter though, without missing a beat, and with a smile still on his lips, he stood beside her, taking her hand in his. Holding hands didn't bother her, he had a habit of playing with her fingers, but unlike other times, he intertwined them with his. No doubt because he knew Jake was watching them. Involuntarily, she opened her hand, which didn't make the slightest difference, Chris had his hand tightly wrapped around hers and their hands remained connected.

Though Jake deserved to be taunted, it was not a good idea to poke the already grumpy giant. Someone could end up getting hurt. And everyone knew who that someone would be.

"**You wanna dance?"** Chris asked.

Seth was once again at Lala's side, huddled up in the corner just a few steps away, whispering to one another. Alice and Jasper lingered just behind Izzy and Chris, pretending to be discussing something party related, Emmett and Rosalie had placed themselves in the halfway point between Jake and them, 'fixing some lights', and though Edward and Bella went back to the door, greeting guests that continued to arrive, it was easy to see Edward had one eye on the door and the other on Jake.

The tension was so thick, you could cut the it with a knife, and honestly, the whole situation was getting ridiculous, and seriously outta hand. Damn it, this was a party! She was not gonna allow everyone's night to be ruined over something as stupid as a confused boy's jealousy. With a sigh of annoyance, she turned to Chris.

"**We'll dance in a minute"** she smiled **"Imma say hi to my friends first, ok?" **Chris's smile faded. With a cocked brow, he threw a death glare in Jake's direction. Unfortunately for him, Jake had used up all the patience she had for testosterone driven fits** "Quil and Embry will always be my friends, Chris. Never forget that"**

"**I didn't say anything"** he strained.

"**You dint have to. Your face said it for you"**

There was a reason Lala was her best friend and she loved her so much. With a smile from ear to ear, as if she hadn't noticed the argument, she ran over and jumped in the middle of them, facing Chris.

"**I promised Alice I'd start the dance off"** she giggled, grabbing his arm **"And since Jasper has taken Seth on an ice run…" **she rolled her eyes** "You've been selected to do this with me. So come one, lets show these peoples how to party properly"**

Without giving him a chance to say anything, Lala dragged Chris halfway through the room, planting themselves in the middle, for the most awkward dance in history. Jasper and Seth were nowhere to be seen, and by the way Alice was pretending to have a stimulating conversation with, out of all people, Jessica Stanley, the ice run had been the pixie's idea.

Taking advantage that Lala wasn't gonna let Chris go anytime soon, Izzy walked over to Embry and Quil. Jake was there too, of course, but she would pretend he wasn't. Or at least that's what she told herself.

"**Hey there, Z"** Embry smiled, giving her a bear hug as he always did. **"Looking good"**

"**You too"** she smiled as he put her down. He was the only one who had ever called her Z, and the only one she would allow to do so. Likewise, she was the only one who would ever be allowed to call him Gumby, though she only did it when they were alone. **"Look at you, all dressed and everything"**

"**Gotta wear clothes once in a while" **he laughed** "Can't always rock the Hulk look, you know"**

"**Though I'm pretty sure the chicks wouldn't mind" **Quil chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her **"Hello there, stranger" **he squeezed, leaving her breathless for a moment** " Long time no see"**

"**Stranger?" **she gasped** "Hey, its not my fault you're not around when I visit" **she smiled** "Or is it that I have to make appointments to see you now?" **she teased **"Between runs and all that **_**babysitting**_** you're doing, don't leave you much time for friends, ha?"**

Quil's face blushed as he looked sheepishly at the floor** "You heard?"**

"**Every **_**scandalous**_** detail" **she said with mockastonishment. His wide eyes made her laugh** "I'm messing with you, Ateara" **she playfully shoved him **"I think its sweet. She's a very lucky girl"**Three frowned faces looked her. She rolled her eyes. _Boys!_ **"Think about it. Claire will never have to go into a relationship blind, she'll never have to wonder whether the guy she's with, is really **_**the one. **_**And most importantly, she'll never have to suffer a heart break" **she explained** " Some people spend their entire lives searching for their soulmates, she gets to grow up with hers as a best friend, knowing that he's been waiting for her all along. How awesome is that? A girl can't ask for more"**

"**Never thought about it that way" **Quil smiled.

She couldn't keep on pretending Jake wasn't standing just inches from her. It would be childish and petty to completely ignore him.

"**Hi"** she smiled, sorta. Hardly glancing at him.

"**What?"** he smiled **"No hug?" **'Hell no!' crossed her mind. But denying him a hug would be equivalent to letting him know she couldn't handle the intimate contact. Not happening. **"Or is it that your boyfriend doest allow you to hug me?"**

"**Not at all" **she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck** "I just didn't want to do it front of Bella. Aren't you worried of what she'll think?"**

Not being childish and petty was turning nearly impossible to pull off. Though he ignore her comment, he did drop the false bravado.

The hug was everything she feared it would be, everything she missed so dearly, warm, strong, and a tad intimate, her body pulled tightly against his. Holding her longer than he should've, he dug his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. As much as we wanted to pretend she was cool, her self control was crumbling, fast, she couldn't stop herself from resting her head on his chest, taking in that yummy, earthy, musky scent of his. _God, please let me get through this moment without making a fool of myself!_

Their eyes locked as they took a step back, ending the embrace, and for a brief moment she was taken back to a universe they had created in their plateau, where the rest of the world was gone, and they spent glorious nights lying in each other's arms under a blanket of stars. But just like that, the music changed, the moment was gone, and Izzy found herself being dragged across the room by her brother, wanting the dance she'd promised him.

She danced with her brothers, Chris, Seth, Lala, the Cullens, some of the guys from school, like Mike, Erik, Tyler, and Conner, and though Ben was too shy, his friend Austin wasn't. She even danced with Jasper. She pretended to be ok, having small talk with everyone, even including Bella once or twice, but with Jake as part of the background, the night seemed to last forever. After all that it was not even 10pm yet.

Though they were often bundled up in the same group, and their eyes met, several times, she never danced with Jake, they didn't talk, didn't comment on each other's conversations, didn't interact in the least. She should've been ok with that, they were only friends after all. She wasn't. It sucked! The urge to hug him, the need to feel his touch, it was still there, threatening to overtake her at any minute, but it was nice to see him, to inhale his scent, to hear his voice. When Chris asked to talk to her in private, she was tempted to say no.

Taking her hand, as he had been doing most of the night, he guided her to the side balcony. Far away from the crowd to be considered alone, but close enough to still be inside the house. Looking up at the full moon, inhaling the scent of the woods, hearing the chirps and sounds of the animals roaming around, it all brought memories of the one person she shouldn't be thinking about when it was Chris she was with.

When she looked down, Chris's face was inches from hers. _Oh, God!_ Suddenly the woods faded into the background, their scent replaced by the subtle, but pleasant, mixture of Obsession for men, soap, and clean sweat. The crisp breeze shunned out by the heat of Chris's body as it wrapped itself around hers. She knew the moment would come sooner or later, she'd been expecting it. Didn't mean she was ready for it.

"**You are so beautiful"** he smiled. She couldn't think of anything to say. She smiled back. **"Izzy"** he whispered, wrapping one of her curls around his index finger **"I think its obvious what I feel for you" **she opened her mouth to tell him to stop, beg him to **"Let me finish"** he urged **"I know what you feel for him…" **His name was not required, hell, not even the head nod towards the house was necessary. They both knew well who_him_ was. **"…and I don't hold it against you" **he shrugged** "I know all to well you can't control who you fall in love with. Been dealing with that for quite some time" **So many thoughts invaded her mind. She cared too much for Chris to use him as rebound. Giving him false hopes wasn't fair to him when she knew she would always love Jake. But _would she_ always love Jake? How long should she go on waiting for someone who would probably never come back to her? But how could she start a relationship with someone when her heart already belonged to someone else? And then there were all those what ifs coming at her at. Talk about mental overload. **"I know what I'm dealing with. And I'm not holding any expectations" **Ironic, same words she had said to Jake. Look how well that ended up** "All I'm asking for is a chance, Izz. I'm willing to do everything and anything to win your heart. But I need you to please give me a chance"**

He closed the distance between their lips before she had a chance to stop him. Or was it that she didn't _want_ to stop him?

As his soft lips overtook hers, she planted her hands on the railing, gripping it so hard, her hands would surely end up indented in the wood. Izzy couldn't say she hadn't wondered what it would belike to kiss Chris, she was totally in love with Jake, but deep down she was still a teenage girl, and as Alice had said, she wasn't blind. The kid was fine. And damn it if he didn't know how to work his mouth. She was holding back, and he more than made up for it. It was _very_ nice, but it was obvious she wasn't allowing herself to enjoy it, and she didn't know why. Or maybe she did. But he wasn't giving up, making it clear he had no intention in stopping anytime soon. _Oh,_ w_hy not!_

She waited a bit too long and didn't get a chance to let go. With a cold breeze, and the sudden feeling of falling sideways, Izzy was flying. Through the woods they went, and she knew exactly who she owed the pleasure to.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

He couldn't take it anymore. He was able to calm down when he saw his arms around her. Only because Embry reminded him phasing would not only expose them, but would potentially hurt Izzy, who would no doubt jump in to protect the punk. He was able to hold it in when he held her hand, and used every excuse in the book to get his paws on her. He even sat back as he pulled her away, _to talk_. But when he saw him kissing her, his blood boiled, and every last bit of him yelled 'mine!'. Jake finally lost it.

Jake was not good at hiding his feelings. Never had been. It was clear he was having the worst night of his life, his anger and jealousy obvious to everyone who laid eyes on him. Though it took a few hours, people around him finally relaxed, figuring he had given up on the idea of ripping Chris to shreds. No one saw his move coming. Except Edward, but not even he was fast enough to stop him. Thank goodness human eyes can't focus fast enough to register his movement. A few of them might've picked up on a dark blur from the corner of their eyes, but not much else.

By the time Romeo noticed his Juliet was gone, they were well hidden within the darkness of the night's woods.

"**What the hell do you think you're doing, Jacob?"**

He knew better than to put her down. She would either run, or find something to hit him with. Pinned up against a tree, with a knee between her legs, and no space between their bodies, he held her up, safely in his arms.

"**Jacob?"** he smirked **"I'm Jacob, now?"**

"**You've always been Jacob. That's your name isn't it"** she snapped **"And you didn't answer my question"**

"**I've always been Jake to you. Unless your mad at me"**

"**Oh, but whatever would I be mad at you for?" **Her sarcastic tone was adorable. She was so cute when she was angry. **"Put me down!" **Her heart was pounding erratically, in a way it hadn't done so in a long time. He'd actually feared it was another side effect to the vampire venom in her system. **"What the hell is so funny?"**

"**Your heart" **he smiled **"I love the way it goes crazy like that"**

She cocked her brow, slightly tilting her head, studying him** "You've officially lost it, haven't you?"**

"**I like that I can make it do that"** he half-smiled **"Cause obviously no one else can"**

She scuffed.** "What makes you think…" **He dropped his head, bringing his nose to hers, so close their lips brushed and their breaths became one. Her heart instantly went into overdrive, beating wildly and erratically. She could say whatever she wanted, but her heart didn't lie. It still belonged to him. A wide smile of triumph crossed his lips. **"Punk"** she glared at him **"And that don't prove nothing"**

"**Sure, sure"**

She grunted and began to wiggle, trying to get away. Izz knew well there was no getting away, but the fact that she was trying, was one of the reasons he loved her. The fact that she was amusing him was pissing her off, which of course amused him even more. She looked glorious under the moonlight, her poutty lips slightly parted as she struggled against his iron grip.

"**Ugh!"** she grunted, giving up.

"**You done?" **Death glare. His eyes ran down her beautiful face, resting on her lips. Instinctively, he ran his tongue over his own, remembering the many times they he had kissed her, the many she had kissed him. Izz noticed and looked away, which brought him to the memory of the scene he'd disrupted just minutes before. Her lips had been claimed by someone else, and having that scene replaying over and over in his head was getting him to dangerous levels. Izz felt the change in his hold and instantly turned back to him**. "He had no right kissing you!"**

His exclaim startled her for a second, but she was quick to hide it. And even quicker with a comeback.

"**Excuse you? **_**I**_** am the only one who can say who **_**has**_** or **_**doesn't have**_** any right! And by the way, whether you like it or not, **_**right now**_**, Chris has a lot more right that you do, **_**friend**_**" **she chuckled at his expression** "Tell me something. Has the big bad vampire stayed away because you're not around me? Cause it don't matter than I'm in LaPush or at the Cullen house all the time, right? It don't matter that I'm constantly surrounded by vampires and werewolves, right? Oh, no, I forgot" **she thumped her forehead** "Its **_**you**_** who puts me in danger. I'm safe as long as **_**you**_** are away from me. Breaking my heart and putting me through hell is your way of protecting me. How can I ever thank you"**

"**I **_**am**_** protecting you!" **he grunted** "You have no idea what I've been doing, you don't know…"**

"**Just because I didn't run out and confront you, doesn't mean I didn't know you were hiding in the woods!" **his eyes widened** "You think I don't know you spent 2 weeks outside my window? Think I didn't hear your grunts and growls everytime Chris came to visit? Think I didn't sense you following me around? I knew. Same way I know you still come around at night when you think I'm sleeping"**

"**Why didn't you say anything?"**

"**For the same reason you're still holding me hostage" **she smirked** "Cause I wanted you to" **planting her palms on his chest, she shoved him, sending him stumbling back until he slammed into the tree 6 feet behind him** "If you're ok living the rest of your life on the back burner, waiting for someone who will never feel for you the way you feel for them, then go for it, I wish you the best. But please leave me alone. What you're doing, pushing me away yet not letting me go, its far worse than what any psychotic vampire can inflict on me" **she sighed, clearly to keep from crying** "My safety has nothing to do with you. It never has, so stop lying to yourself. This has always been about your feelings for Bella. You wanna keep waiting for her? Let me be. But not for now, for good"**

"**I can't" **he whispered** "I can't let you go"**

"**Why?"**

With a leap he closed the distance between them, once again pinning her against the tree.

"**I love Bella, probably always will. I can't say it doesn't hurts like hell to lose her. But losing you…that's …indescribable. I can't live without you, Izz. Not anymore"** he ran his fingers through her hair **"Remember the morning after I phased?" **She nodded.** "I felt like a monster, a rabid animal, a freak. But I opened my eyes and there you were…" **he cupped her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb **"…so loving, so understanding, so…unconditional. I looked into your lovely eyes and saw noting but love in them"**

Unable to hold back any longer, he did what he'd been dying to do all night. What he'd been dying to do for weeks. He kissed her. Claiming her lips as his, he felt all the love he always saw in her, all the love that existed between them, all the love he'd been denying.

"**That's the moment I fell in love with Izz. That's why I can't let you go"**


	31. Chapter 31

Izz's lovely smile was brighter than the sun, and warming him in a way nothing else ever could. The kiss was so sweet and tender, it couldn't be described as nothing other than heaven on earth. It wasn't just their lips connecting, it was their bodies, their hearts, their souls. This was _his_ Izzy, and as long as he could help it, it would remain that way.

The feel of her soft lips, the touch of her velvety skin, the warmth of her body, the sound of her beating heart, the scent of her skin, Jake was in an Izz high. She ran her fingers down his arms and arched her back as he trailed kisses down her jaw line and her neck, exhaling softly when he got to the curve of her neck.

"**Jake?"** she breathed as his kisses trailed their way back to her lips. **"Jake"** more kisses **"Jake!"**

"**Mmm?" **His lips were busy, luckily she understood the sound.

"**We should head back to the party"**

He frowned, snapping his head up to look into her amused eyes**. "Right now?" **He had a few hour of alone time in mind, not returning to the vamp house filled with curious eyes and ears.

"**Yeah" **she laughed **"Look, we still have lots to talk about, and we'll definitely do that later, but right now, we should go back" **his frown made her smile **"Hey, you're the one who's been growling all night…"**

"…**cause I couldn't stand seeing you with…"**

"…**my date" **she interceded before he said something else, then laughed at his reaction** "And thanks to that right there…" **she pointed to his face** "…is why everyone's been watching you all night. I'm sure they've noticed by now that we've gone m.i.a., and I'm definitely sure their minds are going wild with assumptions" **she chuckled** "Lets go back before they start debating whether you're molesting me, or hacking me into pieces"**

Jake could care less what people thought or assumed, and deep down he knew Izz didn't care either, but last thing he wanted was for her to become topic of gossip around town, and all over him. Reluctantly he agreed to go back to the party, taking her hand and carefully guiding her through the dark woods. He could've carried her, but walking gave them a few extra minutes alone.

Hand in hand they walked until they got to the Cullen's front door. Suddenly stopping, she released his hand. Filled with curiosity, he turned to her with buried brows.

"**What's wrong?"**

"**Why don't you go ahead"** she suggested, glancing up at the front door **"I'll gotta look for Chris. And the side balcony's probably the best place to start"** He couldn't help it, his body tensed and jaw clenched. She smiled **"I owe him an explanation for the Houdini act, don't you think?"**

He didn't like it, but she was right. No matter how much he would like to erase Chris from the face of the planet, or at least send him to the other side, far, far away from Izz, he understood an explanation was needed.

"**What are you gonna tell him?"**

"**No clue" **she chuckled** "I'll…make up as I go, I guess"**

"**Breaking up is hard to do" **he smirked

"**Break up? He's just a friend" **she stated before smiling deviously** "Same way you're my friend" **

"_**Really?**_**" **he closed the distance between them with a wide step, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her up against him** "So he's your friend like **_**I'm**_** your friend?" **

"**Ah ha" **she smiled

He kissed her passionately, not only leaving them both breathless and faint, but causing her heart to become erratic and the scent of her excitement to invade his nose.

"**You were saying?"** he half-smiled.

"**Yup" **she giggled** "Exactly the same"** with a wink, she wiggled out of his hold and ran, a speed he wasn't expecting nor could stop. Laughing triumphantly, she ran to the west corner of the house **"Later, buddy!"**

Though he laughed, it was hard to tell if she was serious or not. After what he'd put her through, she might want to keep her options open. If that was the case, he was gonna be living through hell. And Chris was gonna be in serious danger.

Leaving that thought behind, he went in. As Izz had predicted, every head in the room turned to him, a lot of them surprised to he see him alone. Slipping his hand into his right pocket, he felt something he'd completely forgotten about.

Taking advantage, that for once, Bella was vamp alone, he walked up to her.

"**Everything ok?"** she asked as he approached. **"Everyone alive?"**

"**For now"** he nodded with a smile **"I'm sorry" **he hugged her** "Hadn't gotten the change to congratulate you"**

"**No worries"**

"**I brought you something"** he smiled, holding out the silver bracelet in front of her **"A graduation present"** the small wolf carved outta redwood dangled **"I made it myself"**

"**Wow, you made this?" **He nodded. **"Its really pretty. Thanks"**

"**No worries"** he smiled **"Thought I'd get you something to remember me by. You know how it is, out of sight, out of mind"**

"**I can never forget **_**you,**_** Jake"** she smiled **"But I'll wear it. Always"**

"**Promise?"** She nodded. Holding out her arm.

As he placed the bracelet around her wrist, from the corner of his eye, he caught Alice, looking kinda wobbly as she stared blankly into nothing. She was seeing something.

"**I'll be right back" **Bella blurted out**. **Not happening, he followed her to the stairs, where the psychic vamp still didn't look too good. **"Alice, what'd you see?"**

"**The decision's been made"**

"**What's going on?"** His intention was not for it to come out as a demanding growl, but he couldn't help it. Instantly, Quil and Embry were at his side.

"**You're not going to Seattle"** Bella said, ignoring his question

"**No"** Alice shook her head **"They're coming here"**

"**Ok. Who ever **_**they **_**are, they're coming here, right?" **he demanded** "Technically that gives us the right to know. Spill!"**

Ignoring Bella, who immediately panicked, trying to keep the party peaceful, he glared at Alice. Jasper appeared out of nowhere, glowering at him, like it mattered to Jake. Bella looked like she was about to pass out, but the psychic vamp's face suddenly went thoughtful.

"**Its ok, Jasper. He actually has a point"**

Jasper did not relax his position. Neither did Embry or Quil, who had braced themselves for the fight they were certain would break out.

"**Of course he does"** Emmett smirked, appearing outta nowhere **"But shouldn't we take this somewhere more private"**

They bloodsuckers lead to a way to an office, the doc's no doubt, since he was there waiting for them with Edward. As soon as they were enclosed within the a fancy study, ignoring that the three werewolves were there, the vamps instantly began to discuss the situation.

"**They'll be here in four days" "This could turn into a bloodbath" "Who's behind it?" "I didn't see anyone I recognized. Maybe one" "I know his face. He's local. Riley Biers. He didn't start this" "Whoever did is staying out of the action" "They must be playing with the blind spots in your vision" "Either way, the army is coming and there aren't enough of us to protect the town"**

"**Hold up!" **he demanded.He'd had enough. The damn bloodsucker needed to start giving explanations that made sense.** "What damn army? What the hell's going on?"**

… ******* … ***** … ***** …**

There was no breaking up, but talking to Chris was still hard. As Izzy had assumed, he was still at the side balcony, leaning against the rail, looking out into the woods, as if he knew that's where she had gone.

Claiming she had no clue what she was gonna tell him, was not a joke. Ignoring the disappearing act seemed like the best thing to do. How the hell do you explain vanishing into thin air? Fortunately, Chris didn't bring it up either.

Truth was, she didn't know where she and Jake stood at the moment. Yeah, he admitted he was in love with her, and he confessed he couldn't live without her, but that was as far as their conversation had gone. She'd learned the hard way, wishful thinking could come back and bite you in the ass, in a bad way. Romanticizing the situation between her and Jake was not something she could afford to do. They were not a couple again, at least not officially. And he didn't mention imprinting, which brought up some concern if they were to become official. He also didn't mention anything about giving up on Bella. All in all, there were still a lot of things up in the air.

Remaining as honest as she could, she told Chris she needed alone time to figure out what she wanted, and which path was the best for her when it came to romantic relationships. His friendship meant a lot to her, and she wished to keep it.

In her head, she knew Chris was the best option for her. A normal human, that could give her a normal, stable relationship, a safer relationship. But in her heart, none of that mattered, there was none other than Jacob Black for her. She felt horrible pushing away a great guy who deserved so much more than she could give him. Worst of it all, he wasn't mad, he was very understanding, too much. Determined as always, he claimed not to give up on his quest for her heart.

Always the gentleman, Chris walked her inside the house, her hand in his, and with a kiss that was too close to her mouth to be nearly friendly, he said his goodbyes and left. Seth and Lala were already gone, which made sense since she had a 1 am curfew and it was well past 12:30am. Checking her phone, Izzy found _several_text messages from her best friend. Since there would surely be a long interrogation to deal with, she'd get back to her later.

Looking around, the party was still in full swing. Mark was out on the dancefloor, getting down with a few girls, and Andy was of course still at the dj booth, doing his thing, but there were several key players missing. Jake, Quil and Embry were nowhere to be seen, and neither were Edward, Bella, Jasper or Alice. Rosalie and Emmett were still mingling around, and oddly enough, Esme was now at the door, thanking those leaving for their attendance. To an unknowing eye, everything would seem ok, but she knew it wasn't. The vibe was off. Something was up.

Emmett had apparently been watching her, and picked up on her discern and concern. Appearing to simply pass by, he whispered in her ear.

"**They're all in Carlisle's office"**

With smiles to her brothers, and a few 'hey there's here and there, to keep people from noticing she was b-lining it somewhere, she made her way to the study as quickly as she could.

Quietly, without knocking, she let herself in, shutting the door behind her. Of course everyone heard her entrance and turned around, the room suddenly turning eerily quiet.

Carlisle and Edward looked somber and concerned, more than usual, Jasper looked tense, also more than usual, and Alice looked nervous, which was actually a shock since she always appeared to be hyper and upbeat. Bella kinda caught Izzy off guard, in tears, shaking, and out right terrified.

"**Whats going on?"**

Everyone turned away, up at the ceiling, down at the floor, anywhere but at her. Jake stared at her but didn't say anything. That bad? She turned to the only one she knew would fill her in, Carlisle. After a moment, he gave her the terrifying news.

"**Alice's had a vision. An army of newborn vampires is headed this way" **Her heart stopped and her stomach did a summersault. **"They appear to be after Bella" **_Of course!_** "And they'll be here in 4 days" **_Oh lord!_His sigh didn't help her nerves.** "It will mean an ugly fight. With lives lost"**

Lives lost? Izzy felt like she was in nightmare, and prayed to wake up soon. Like now! Jake, Embry and Quil shared a look before Jake turned to her** "We're in"** The look he gave her meant 'you know we gotta do this'. She couldn't move or say anything.

"**No way!" **Bella cried** "You're gonna get yourselves killed!" **she turned to Izzy, who was still praying this was a weird Twilight Zone dream **"Tell them, **_**please**_**, tell them not to do this!"**

"**Z" **Embry said with a pleading voice. Slowly, she got her eyes to turn to him, and saw the mirror image of the look Jake had given her.

"**They would give us the numbers"** Jasper explained **"The newborns don't know they even exist. That'll give us an edge"**

"**We would need to coordinate, but it'll mean more protection for Bella. For you. For the entire town"** Edward added.

"**They'll get hurt!"** Bella cried

"**We'll all need some training"** Carlisle stated **"Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has. The pack is welcomed to join us"**

"**Why isn't anyone listening to me?" **Bella exclaimed** "Izzy! Do something!"**

Izzy was frozen solid. A giant knot in her throat, a tilt-a-whirl in her stomach, terror beyond belief. Jake and the pack lead a dangerous lives, she was well aware of that. Everytime he and the guys went out on runs, chasing after vampires, engaging in mortal fights, their life was constantly on the line. There were no guarantees in life, and as do family members of policemen and firemen, everytime the guys went out the door, prayers went out they came back home safe and sound. As much as she wished it was different, there wasn't much Izzy could do. Of course she wanted to keep them home, safe, away from danger, away from any threat, but would they still be the wolves she loved if they sat back and allowed their friends, their tribe, their land to be in danger of vampires or anything else that came their way?

She wasn't aware she was crying until Jake walked over, cupping her face, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

"**This is what they do"** she exhaled. Jake smiled as Bella grunted in frustration. **"And they wouldn't be my wolves if they didn't step up and kicked some ass, right?" **she sniffled with a smile. **"And you better kick some ass"**

Quil and Embry squeezed her arm. With a wide smile, Jake kissed her lips. **"All right"** he stated, speaking to the Cullens but looking at her **"Name the time and the place"**

"**Excellent!" **Alice hissed, grinning at Jacob, who returned the grin as Bella stared with dismay at the pixie's new expression of exultation. Izzy felt the same dismay, she was just much better at hiding it.** "Everything just disappeared of course" **pixie told him with a smug voice **"That's inconvenient, but, all things considered, I'll take it"**

"**This will be odd" **Jasper half-smiled** "Working together, not just along side, or against each other. Has to be a first"**

"**No doubt" **Quil smirked

"**We gotta get back to Sam" **Embry added **"Fill the pack in"**

"**What time?" **Jake asked

"**What's too late for you?" **

Jake, Quil and Embry rolled their eyes. **"Time?"**

As they set the time and place, Izzy though of all of the people she cared so much for, people she saw as family. Imagining them fighting with psycho vampires, an army of them, in a battle to the death, while most went on about their day, not knowing of what was going on just yards away from them, not knowing the dangers that lurked in the woods, it was horrifying. She could loose some of them, she could loose all of them.

Whether he heard her heart falter, or there were physical indications to what was going through her mind, Jake wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest as he and the Cullens went on with the arrangements.

Sometime later, she was practically carried out, only aware she was moving because the scenery and the background noises changed. The pressure in her chest didn't allow her to breath, not even the fresh air out in the balcony did any good. Jake sat her down on the wooden steps, placing her head between her knees as Quil and Embry watched with concern.

"**Wait, Jake!"** Bella called after him as she ran out. He looked up at her but didn't move from Izzy's side **"Please! Don't do this! Do not get involved in this!"**

"**A little too late for that, don't you think?" **Embry smirked.

Ignoring his comment, Bella squatted on the other side of Izzy.** "This is obviously killing you as much as it is me. Why aren't you stopping him?"**

Time after time, Bella's decisions and actions placed her in the path of danger. Due to Jake's quest to keep her safe, even from herself, it caused many a separation between him and Izzy. Jealousy and straight out annoyance had always been the reason for Izzy's dislike of her. But this time it wasn't about petty teenage drama, it wasn't about a nomad vampire crossing through, it wasn't about catching a psycho vampire on a revenge quest, this time it was life and death, for everyone.

Though the newborn army was on its way to Forks for Bella, not only would the entire town be in danger, but also anyone who had the misfortune of crossing its path. As much as she didn't wanna blame things on her, Izzy couldn't help but feel anger. Bella could become the reason she lost Jake. She could be the reason she lost her family. Wobbly, with the help of Jake and Embry, she stood to glare at her.

"**I know this must come as a complete shock to you, Bella, but you don't have the monopoly on irrevocable love" **she snapped **"I love Jake with every inch of my being. As much, if not more than you love your…**_**man**_**" **Bella's eyes widened. Embry and Quil hid smiles. **"Quil, Embry, the pack, they're my brothers as much as they are Jake's. Everytime they head out into the woods, I pray its not the last time I see them. I pray not to get a call in the middle of the night telling me one of them's been hurt…or worse. **_**Of course**_** I'd love to lock Jake up, keep him home, by my side, safe and sound. But as much as I worry, and walk around a complete wreck until I know he made it back, I live with it. And I would never dare think of asking him to stop. And you know why I do that?" **Bella didn't answer, knowing Izzy didn't care what her answer would be. As a matter of fact, it was her in her best interest to stay quiet.** "Because I know what loyalty, brotherhood, commitment and obligation means to them" **Jake, Quil and Embry smiled at her. Izzy understood them and accepted them, unconditionally, and though they never said it, it meant a lot to them **"I know who he is. I know **_**what**_** he is. And he would not be Jake, he would not be the guy I fell in love with…" **she glanced at the trio** "…**_**they**_** would not be the guys I respect and admire, if they sat back and allowed those they care about to be in danger" **Jake wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing the top of her head** "I also know how powerful their love is. And I count on that. Its what consoles me. Because its that love that makes them always careful, and its what drives them to do everything in their power to come back to us. That's why I don't stop him. Is that good enough for you?"**

Bella stared at Izzy, motionless and speechless. Anger rolled off Izzy in waves, and though she might've been unaware of how close she was to becoming a punching bag, Jake was not, taking a few steps back, pulling Izzy along with him.

"_**She**_** told **_**her**_**" **Quil mumbled under his breath, causing Embry to chuckle.

"**Laters, Bells"** Jake half-smiled **"I got a pack to meet with"**

As Bella stared with a blank expression, Jake scooped up Izzy, carrying her bridal-style, and running into the woods with her, Quil and Embry at their sides.

There was still a pack meeting to be held, where there would be plenty of growling and grunting no doubt, and it would be followed by a training session with Jasper and the Cullens. Talk about a long ass, tension filled night. Ten werewolves and seven vampires, working together, training together, fighting together. According to Alice, the newborn changed in numbers all the time because they fought amongst themselves. All Izzy could hope, was that it wasn't the case for her army. If only they could reign in their aggression in and use it against the newborns and not against each other, half the battle would be won.


	32. Chapter 32

No matter how much smack they talked, and how much they tried to hype themselves up, deep down, the pack knew and understood the seriousness of the battle. It wasn't gonna be easy, and they weren't gonna allow cockiness to cloud their vision and earn them a one-way ticket home on a stretcher. For the next couple of days, the guys had to balance practicing with the Cullens, practicing and strategizing on their own, spending time with loved ones, and getting enough sleep and rest to be in top shape for the fight.

As if having nearly two dozen blood-crazed leeches on their way wasn't enough, Jake also had the situation with Izz to take care of. As much as he would've liked to say they were back on, they really weren't. They were not a couple, they weren't just friends, and until they had that talk, he wouldn't know what they truly were. He was more than willing to have it all out, but with everything that was going on, Izz decided the best thing to do was hold off the 'where do we stand?' talk _until after the battle_, which they both knew was a nice way of saying 'lets enjoy these couple of days, and if you survive, then we'll talk'. Kinda made him a little nervous, to be honest. The extra time to think things through could be a really good thing, or a really bad one.

Crazy, how having a possible countdown on your shoulders, really gets things into prospective. Made him feel twice as stupid for wasting all that time trying to stay away from Izz. The need to be with her was now twice as strong, leaving her side, even for short periods of time, was almost unbearable. It was his own personal dilemma. She was the fuel that kept him going, he needed her with him, but he couldn't handle having her too close to the epicenter, he wanted as far away from it as possible. Talk about conflict emotions.

Bella was someone he was thinking about lately too, probably cause he'd been spending a great deal of time with her during the past 48 hours. It was inevitable. Given the pack was working with the Cullens, and Bella was permanently attached to Edward's side. Jake had even spent all afternoon, carrying her around all through the woods, leaving false trails in efforts of luring the newborns precisely where they wanted them.

He was in love with Izz, no doubt in his mind about it. But why couldn't he let go of Bella? Was it only because he was worried about her safety, or was it more? Was his concern, and often, anger, due to her choices in love, or her life choices in general?

As hard as it was, he had to put his emotions on the back burner and concentrate on the issue at hand. By Tuesday evening, everything was all planned out. Wednesday, night before the battle, Sam and the rest would camp out at the clearing with the Cullens, just in case the newborns happened to arrive earlier than expected, seeing as Bella needed to be hidden, and Edward wouldn't be fighting, at her request, they would be camping and staying elsewhere, and though Izz was not too happy about it, Jake would be camping out with them while Seth kept watch at her house.

Since Sam needed a way to keep the pups outta the action on Thursday morning, Seth would trade places with Jake at sunrise, sitting with Bella and Edward, keeping them connected with those at the clearing. Collin and Brady, the youngest packmembers at only 14, would stay behind, patrolling Forks and LaPush, just in case any bloodsuckers made a run for it. Even his dad had a job to do. Knowing the battle could get a little loud, and some busybodies could call the station with complaints of howling, Billy was taking Charlie fishing, making sure he didn't get the call and gather a hunting crew. In other words, keeping the chief as far away from the woods as possible.

Strategies, plans, truces, arrangements, tactics, skills, newborns, it was all so mentally exhausting. But he was lucky to have the best girl in the world waiting for him. Just the though of looking into Izz's lovely green eyes, gave him a boost that would keep him going for days.

Izz had been more than happy spending afternoons at his house, running her fingers through his hair as he laid in the couch, his head on her lap, napping while she watched reruns on Nickelodeon. She never once mentioned how worried she was, but he knew. Her beautiful eyes had been puffy and red for days. She often smiled at him, but he'd caught her plenty times, sighing and staring at him with watery eyes. She loved him so much, and no matter what she said, he knew he didn't deserve even half of that love. When she invited him to dinner, accepting was the least he could do.

He couldn't really sit at Mary's dinner table in cut offs, so after a quick shower, he dressed in clothes Izz had bought him for his birthday, but he'd never had a place to wear them to, black slacks and a sky-blue v-neck sweater. There wasn't much to do with his hair, and he didn't wear cologne, slipping his boots on, he walked to the kitchen, grabbing the keys to his Rabbit from the counter.

"**Well, well, well"** his dad smirked, eying him as he wheeled himself through the door **"**_**I **_**won't be waiting up"**

"**I wouldn't"** he smiled. Walking over, he bent down and kissed his dad's forehead **"See you, dad"**

Grabbing a hold of his hand, his dad squeezed it, pulling him into a hug **"I love you, son"**

His dad was not a lovey-dovey type of guy. Smushy displays of affection and prolonged speeches about emotions was not his style. But it didn't take many words for them to communicate and understand each other. With those four words, his father was telling him everything that was going on in his mind and in his heart.

"**Love you too, dad"** With a tight squeeze, his dad's spine cracked, causing them both to laugh. **"See you later, old man"**

Running out the door, he was on his way down the road in no time. Didn't get many chances to drive anymore, taking his baby out for a spin was a nice treat, even if it was only a 10 minute drive. Pulling up to her house, he noticed it was quieter than normal, but he was too busy bracing himself to pay much attention. No matter how hard he wanted to act, her lovely scent always knocked the wind outta him, leaving him panting like a love-sick puppy.

Just as he reached the front door, it swung open, a vision of perfection waiting for him at the door. Izz looked absolutely gorgeous in a short, sleeveless, flirty dress and matching heels. A combination of sexy and adorable she was known for.

"**Pretty in pink"** he smiled

"**Fuchsia"** she corrected **"And thank you"** she beamed. She looked him over and cocked her brow flirtatiously **"Nice"** He smiled, glad he wasn't underdressed for once. He tried to hide his blush but she noticed it and smiled. **"Come in" **she waved her hand towards the living room. Walking in he noticed the house was not just quieter, it was absolutely silent. She noticed his buried brows and chuckled **"Mark and Andy claimed it wouldn't be summer vacation without an actual summer" **she smiled, obviously knowing what he was thinking.** "They left to San Diego yesterday. Wont be back for two weeks" **Out of state, explained why the cars were still in the driveway** "Since Dr. Cullen has a…" **she used her fingers to make air quotations** "…**_**family emergency**_**, Ma's been working double shift. Won't be home till morning" **That only left D. When she caught him glancing over at the garage, she bit her lip and looked around.** "Yeah… umm…" **she looked around some more. Her breathing was off, so was her heart. She was nervous. **"…D's gone… He and Leah are spending the night Victoria"**

"**So we're all alone?"** he smiled widely.

She nodded. **"Till tomorrow morning"**

That's why she was nervous. They were hardly ever alone. They had to go to their plateau for such a luxury. Something they hadn't done in a long time.

With a leap, he had his arms wrapped around her, lifting her off the ground in a kiss. After a squeal of surprise and excitement, she kissed him back, allowing herself to be walked backwards until they reached the edge of the stairs. Without having to ask, she jumped up, wrapping her legs around his torso, allowing him to carry her up the stairs.

A sweet scent lead the way to her room, good thing cause he was a little preoccupied. Holding her up with one arm, he fumbled with the door until the darn thing gave way, hitting him with a sweet mixture of Izz's honeysuckle scent which, would forever be penetrated in those four walls, and sweet pea, thanks to the dozens of scented candles the room was outlined in, illuminating it, giving it a fantasy quality.

"**Wow"** he breathed

"**I was kinda hoping this would be your reaction to knowing we were alone"** she smiled, jumping off his with a shy smile

"**Hoping?"** he half-smiled **"Or expecting?"**

"**Hoping was plan A" **she smiled, biting her lower lip **"Plan B was seducing you"**

He cocked his brow **"I am **_**so**_** on board with plan B"**

With a devious smile she pushed him inside the room, back-kicking the door shut behind them. Though he could easily tell she was nervous, she locked her jade eyes on him in the most erotic way. Suddenly, the roles were reversed, finding himself being walked backwards. Once he hit the mattress with the back of his knees, she pushed him onto the bed, a few pillows bouncing to the floor as his butt landed. Her aggressiveness was extremely hot, but he couldn't lie, it surprised the hell outta him, his wide eyes bringing a wide smile to her lips.

Her heart calmed, her breath steadied, and her expression changed, she was now in total control and he loved it. Using her heel, she spread his legs apart, kneeling between his knees. Placing her hands on his chest, she kissed him, gliding her hands down his abs, tucking her fingers under the rim of his sweater. With a giggle, she pulled back before he grabbed a hold of her.

"**Uh, uh, uh"** she teased, causing a low growl to escape his chest.

Sliding her little hands up his bare chest, she took the sweater with her, least he could do was raise his hands and help her along the way, right? With a smile of triumph, she stood up, tossing the sweater aside. Pulling her hair forward, she turned around, facing away from him as she seductively wiggled her way to squat before him. Way to eager, he practically attacked the zipper. At that point, he was ready to rip the dress to shred as long as it was off her body.

Placing her hands on his knees, she swayed her hips, letting the dress fall off of her as she stood, kicking it to the side as she took a step forward. He was about to protest, when she turned, quickly revealing it had only been to give him a better view. And what a view it was. Every curve in her glorious body, beautifully displayed in lace panties and bra, matching the shade of the heels she still had on, color that splendidly complimented the shade of her velvety skin. _God damn!_

Eyeing the pillows behind him, she gave him silent instructions to lay back. It took him about a nanosecond to obey. He watched in amazement as she kneeled at the foot of the bed, arching forward to crawl up the bed, up to him.

A loud, deep, growl filled the room. First instinct was to jump off the bed and look for the animal that had snuck into the room. It took him a second to realize _he_ was the animal. Izz brought out the animal in him, and by the raspy laughter that escaped her, she was liking every minute of it.

"**God, I love you" **

"**I love you more"** she whispered before kissing him.

Holding back and allowing her to be in charge was agony, and she was in the mood for torture. She kissed and bit every last bit of his naked skin, gliding her body against his as she scraped and scratched him with her fingernails and teeth. He was surprised the painful bulge in his pants hadn't burst through the pants yet.

Taking pity in him, she finally began to unbuckle his pants. His erection nearly jumped out at her, causing her to giggle. She began to tug at his pants and boxers, but too anxious to wait, he made sure they were gone instantly, along with her panties. Shaking her head at his impatience, she grabbed his shaft, squeezing. The touch was enough to have him panting, but the combination of pain and ecstasy, damn it if he didn't howl.

He wanted her so bad it hurt. And she knew it. Ever so slowly, she crawled up on him, straddling him. In a swift move, she sat on his erection, the feel of her body wrapped over his, so wonderful, that alone nearly sent him over the edge. Allowing her to ride him at her pleasure, he removed her bra and sat back, cupping her marvelous breasts as moans, grunts and growls filled the room. It wasn't long before her walls clamped on him, the spasm of ecstasy taking over her body, the scent of her release all over him as she fell forward. Her curls cascading over his chest as she held herself up by planting her palms on his shoulders. She didn't stop though, slowly rotating her pelvis, teasing him with deliberate movement. Grabbing a hold of her ass, he guided her movement until she screamed his name in ecstasy, the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.

Still connected, he flipped her over. It was his turn. Allowing her to come off her high, he teased her, pulling out almost entirely, then slowly sliding back in. Pretty soon he had moaning, asking for more. She asked, and he was more than willing to give. As he held onto the headboard for leverage, she grabbed onto his wrist. Pounding into her, moaning each other's name, and many other incoherent things, she released several times, the entire room shaking as the headboard slammed against the wall. Just before she collapsed onto the bed, she bit the curve of his neck, the delightful pain throwing him over the edge, a deafening howl filling her room, and surely all of Forks.

They were sweaty, panting, and exhausted, but very sated. Flipping her over once again, he laid her on top of him, running his fingers through her hair as she rested her head on his chest, running her delicate fingers up and down his arm. She was drifting off to sleep when his stomach growled, causing her to laugh.

"**I did cook dinner, you know. Maybe we should eat it"**

"**Maybe we should"** he half-smiled** "We need energy for round two"**

"**Round two?" **she asked, raising her head to cock her brow at him.

"**Not to mention round three and four" **he winked

The dinner got eaten. And burned off quickly, and then some. It wasn't till after round four that they finally fell asleep, ending the perfect night.

He would've cussed out the sun if it would've made a difference. Morning arrived too soon. But waking up with Izz in his arms, her scent all over him, his all over her, it was the best morning of his life. Too bad he couldn't stick around and enjoy it as much as he wished he could. Not only were her mom and brother to arrive at any moment, he had to meet up with Sam and the pack.

He would've sneaked out, but he couldn't leave without looking into those glorious eyes one more time. They hugged tightly, not wanting to let go, and the kiss was nothing how it had been hours before, it was sweet, delicate, lovely. There were no goodbyes, no last words, but her tears said it all. Taking that first step away from her nearly killed him. And every other step was a challenge, each harder than the last.

Whether it was due to it being a constant repeat of the issues they'd gone through time and time again during the last three days, or because he was using every last bit of his energy to hide the mental images of Izz and the night they'd had, the pack meeting seemed to last forever. Given it was mid-afternoon before they finished, it actually kinda was. After Seth ran off to Izz's, Jake went off to meet with Bella and her bloodsucker.

As usual, the bloodsucker had a million instructions, precautions, and warnings before going off ahead of them. Ignoring all that, Jake ran off with Bella, making small talk along the way. Carrying her up to the campsite was a piece of cake, spending the night with them was gonna be the challenge. He hoped the non-stop chatter from his brothers would keep his mind busy. Unfortunately, that didn't work. Blocking out your thoughts doesn't do much for listening to others. Bella's teeth shattering didn't help either.

The bloodsucker had chosen a sight too high, and with the blizzard-like storm coming in, the wind blew fiercely, and the temperature kept dropping. Weather didn't affect vampires or werewolves, but poor human Bella didn't have that luxury, she was freezing, and Jake couldn't help cringe everytime the wind shook the tent, causing her to squeal, her teeth shattering as she trembled. Though she constantly ordered him to leave, knowing how unhappy he was by his whining howls, she was not gonna be ok. Unless she warmed up, she wasn't gonna last long.

Having heard his thoughts, Edward had growled at him a few times, for being upset he didn't take her back home, or get her somewhere nice and warm, since he was an ice block, literally, and couldn't do anything for her but finish the job of turning her into a Popsicle. Jake however, he was the perfect solution. The vampire was not gonna be too happy about it. And Bella would surely be against it, knowing her bloodsucker would be going crazy, but Jake was not about to stand by and let her freeze to death. With a loud howl of annoyance, he phased back.

"**That was hardly necessary"** Edward muttered **"And that's the worst idea I've ever heard"**

Of course it was. Jealous much? Ignoring him, Jake unzipped the tent, squeezing inside through the smallest space possible. As to be expected, the bloodsucker instantly began his rambling about how much he didn't like the idea, how little he wanted him there, and how he should keep his hands to himself. Like any of that mattered to him.

Finally realizing it was the best thing for her, the bloodsucker backed off. Hissing and muttering warnings under his breath. Bella did the protesting he knew she would, especially as he unzipped her sleeping bag and she saw where he was going, but once she felt his warmth, the objections stopped. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her snuggly against his bare chest, cringing when she eagerly pressed her icy fingers against his skin. She was freezing and knew it, apologizing for it.

"**Try to relax"** he suggested as another shiver rippled through her **"You'll be warm in a minute. Of course you'd warm up faster if you took your clothes off"** he smirked, causing the bloodsucker to growl sharply. Which only caused Jake to laugh **"That's just a simple fact" **he defended himself with a chuckle** "Survival 101" **Bella would've probably smacked him, if she'd bared to moved away from him, which luckily for him, she couldn't. After a few shots at the bloodsucker about being jealous, Bella was warm enough for the shuddering to slow. **"There" **he said, pleased** "Feeling better?"**

"**Yes" **she answered clearly, the stuttering gone.

"**Your lips are still blue" **he mused** "Want me to warm those up for you, too?" **he smiled. Messing with the bloodsucker was a lot of fun **"All you gotta do is ask"**

"**Behave yourself" **Bella sighed, pressing her face against his shoulder, drifting off to sleep.

"**You do that, Mongrel" **Edward whispered** "Because I think Izzy has given you all the forgiveness she ever will" **Jake's glare caused the bloodsucker to smile** "Chris is a lot bigger competition that you think, Jacob. Or has she chosen him, already? "**

As much as he wanted to believe Izz didn't love Chris, that he was nothing more than a rebound, a safety net in a way, there was no way Jake could know for certain. However, the mind-reading bloodsucker could, reason why he was using that against him. Low blow.

"**We haven't talked about that yet"** he answered honestly. Though it had been with the best intentions, his actions hurt her, hurt them both, and she might just be over it and decided he was not the best thing for her. One thing he was sure of though **" She might love him, but I know she loves more"**

"**That she does" **Edward smiled

He wanted to play it cool, but did it really matter if the bloodsucker could read his mind and already knew all his doubts and fears?

"**Does she love him?"**

"**She cares about him. Maybe more than she should. He's been there for her when you haven't. That tend to leave a mark" **It was obvious the bloodsucker wasn't just talking about just Izz**. "But to answer your question, I don't know" **Jake's frown caused the bloodsucker to smile** "I have no way of knowing if she loves him or not, because she doesn't know herself"**

It was funny to think of the similarities in the situations. Bella was torn between the guy she couldn't live without, and the best friend she loved more than she should. Jake was torn between his best friend he couldn't let go of, and the girl who he needed more than air. And now Izz was torn between the guy who owned her heart, and the one who had been there for her unconditionally.

"**How the hell did things get so damn complicated?**

"**Can I give you some advice, Jacob?" **Though it was a question, it was obvious the bloodsucker was not expecting an answer**. "We want them happy, safe, and that sometimes makes us do…drastic things, which we believe are best for them" **Jake's look of annoyance and boredom made Edward chuckled** "Izzy and Bella know exactly what they want, and unfortunately for us, they are very stubborn, and will do everything in their power to get it. How we feel about it, won't sway them in the least. I've learned the best thing to do is accept their choices. And be around to protect them when need be"**

"**_That's _your great plan?"**

"**You have a better one?" **Edward snorted

"**No" **he sighed.

Looking at the bloodsucker, it was hard to ignore the similarities between them. Of course, they appeared to be polar opposites. Jake was a werewolf, warm, flesh and blood, easygoing, impulsive, and maybe a bit immature at times. Edward was vampire, cold, hard stone, pessimistic, always over-thinking, and over-analyzing things. Even physically, they had tanned and buff versus pale and scrawny. But when it came to love, loyalty, brotherhood, responsibility and obligation, they were practically the same.

Jake had badgered the bloodsucker for leaving, for abandoning Bella, causing her all that pain, causing her a depression that nearly killed her. He wasn't able to wrap his head around the idea of abandoning someone you claimed to love. It wasn't until he was forced to make the same decision that it all became clear. Edward had done it for her own good, for her safety, because it was the only way he saw she could live a long, healthy life without a vampire endangering it. Just because Izz was stronger, didn't mean she didn't suffer the same way Bella had. Only difference, Jake caved a lot sooner than Edward did. But ultimately the both caved, didn't they?

"**Odd as it sounds, I'm glad you're here, Jacob"**

Jake snorted **"You mean, as much as I'd love to kill you, I'm glad she's warm, right?"**

"**You know, If you'd come to terms with your feelings, and gave up on the idea of stealing away the reason for my existence, I'd actually like you"**

"**Well, if you weren't a filthy leech, trying to suck the life outta a girl I love… Nah" **Jake shook his head **"Not even then"**

Edward laughed.** "You are confused, Jacob. Bella was your first crush, she's your best friend, and you are strongly bonded. Unfortunately that has caused you to confuse your affection for her, your concern over her safety and happiness, and your protectiveness of her, for something its really not"**

"**Is that right?" **Jake cocked his brow.

Edward smiled, shaking his head.** "Always so stubborn. You 're still unsure you've imprinted?" **he smirked** "You are lucky enough to have the love of my existence in your arms, holding on to you like you're her savior, and yet the girl charming all your thoughts, is in bed a few miles away"**

"**Izz" **he whispered with a smile. Images of Izz's beautiful face instantly filing his head, random moments they'd spent together replaying in his mind like a movie montage, given the images from the night before, an x-rated one.

Edward rolled his eyes in annoyance **"Go to sleep, Jacob. You're staring to get on my nerves"**

With beautiful images of the most gorgeous girl in the world, and a faint sound of humming in the background, Jake slowly fell into unconsciousness.

Not the best night's sleep he ever had. Not one of the worst either, but definitely one of the most uncomfortable. The waking up wasn't much better either. Falling, bare-chested, onto icy ground, not good. Nearly crushing Bella, accidentally, as he tried to get off the ground, and darn close to ripping the bloodsucker to shreds, when he reacted as if he was killing Bella, yeah, not good at all.

The sun was bright, and though the blizzard was long gone, the landscape was covered with a blanket of snow. Nice scenery, but much more appropriate for maybe December, not late-June.

From behind the trees, Seth appeared, the kid looking chipper even in wolf form.

"**Sup, kid"** he ruffled his fur behind the ear "**Everything, ok?" **

Moving his head up and down, Seth nodded.

"**She's fine"** Edward stated, either reading Seth's thoughts or answering for him **"She's in LaPush"**

He had never thought of asking her to go there, but he couldn't be happier to know that's where she would be. With Collin and Brady, she would be a lot safer in LaPush. About to ask if D had gone with her, Jake's thought was cut short. Seth let out an ear-splitting howl, echoed by many more in the distance. The time had arrived.


	33. Chapter 33

Tuesday night had been absolutely perfect. Sleeping in Jake's arms, waking up to his kisses, there were no words to describe it. It had been the best night of her life to date. But seeing him walk out of her room, and not knowing if she would ever see him again, devastating, terrifying, distressing, and down right awful among many things. Would never wish that kind of anguish on anyone, not even her worst enemy.

Though it was practically dawn, going back to sleep was not gonna happen. After cleaning up any evidence leftover from the night before, there wasn't much else for her to do. Sitting at home, alone, worrying herself sick, was not a good idea. Going to LaPush to hang with Emily and Kim, would only mean having company to worry with, also not a good idea. What she needed to was get her mind on something other than the impending death battle.

Though Lala had been too busy with Seth to notice, Izzy knew she had been neglecting her best friend for the past few days. Calling her up for a girls day seemed like a good way of killing two birds with one stone. Chick flick, junk food, and a lot of girl talk was a nice distraction, but not enough to keep her mind from wandering. Lala was not the most observant person in the world, but even _she_ couldn't help noticing something was up, and it sucked not to be able to tell her. Good thing the 'edited' version of what went down with Chris and Jake at the party Sunday evening, was enough to keep her from asking questions. Probably cause she figured Izzy's behavior was due to her indecision between the two hunks.

By nightfall, she was actually kind of relieved to see Lala go home. The howling wind, the bone-chilling cold, and the rustling of trees outside were not doing anything for her nerves. She had bitten her nails down to the nub, and she was tired of pretending everything was ok. At least alone, she could worry in peace without dodging questions she couldn't answer, at least not honestly.

Knowing Seth was outside her window, was a bit calming. He was her only connection to her loved ones, to her love. Kind of a one-way walkie talkie though, since he could only nod or shake his head when she asked him questions. The important thing was that everyone was ok, the coast was clear, and it appeared Alice had gotten he time right, which meant it was now a waiting game. Lets say sleeping was not easy. Izzy spent the night tossing and turning, catching an hour or two of sleep here and there.

By 6am, she gave up and got up, hoping a hot shower would help her relax. If only showers were so magical. The sun was starting to break in the horizon when she walked out of her bathroom. A low whine called her attention to the window. Seth's head was peaking through the trees. A cold breeze rushed in as she opened her bay window.

"**You gotta go?"** He nodded**. "Ok"** she sighed **"Be careful"** He whined again, and even in wolf form, she could see him bury his brows. **"Don't worry about me. I want you concentrating on you"** she said giving him a small smile. Looking over at her dresser, she saw Jake's car keys and cell phone. Since he'd be running around as a wolf, he wouldn't be needing either, and asked her to hold them for him. To explain his car parked outside their house, Izzy had to tell her mom Embry and Quil had picked him up to go to a tribe meeting, and that he'd be picking it up later. Luckily, Ma bought the story. **"Imma get dressed and head over to LaPush. I'll hang there all day" **Approving her decision, he slowly nodded before giving her a last look. **"Later, Seth" **she whispered as the sandy wolf disappeared into the green sea of trees.

Though it was late-June, summertime in any other part of the country, not the case for Forks. The night's storm had brought down the temperature to a nippy 34 degrees. Izzy had to scrape through the back of her closet to find something slightly warm to wear. Pulling on some denim capris, a brown sweatshirt Emily had given her for Christmas, and brown sneakers, she slipped Jake's cell phone in her back pocket, grabbed his keys and ran down the stairs.

Ma was used to her kids running out early in the morning for one thing or other, but they always let her know where they were gonna be. Izzy wrote her a note and left it on the fridge door.

_Morning, Ma_

_Emily has invited Kim and I to come along with her to the Makah rez. It's a couple of hours away so we had to leave early, and I wont be home till late. Got my phone on me, call me or text me if you need me. Love ya! – Izzy_

Figured the trio would be together for most of the day, if something were to happen, they could always say plans changed and they were doing something else.

The original plan had been to drive directly to Emily's place, but it was a bit early, and though she'd probably be up, worrying, like Izzy had been, she didn't wanna risk disrupting the little sleep she might've managed to get. Dropping off Jake's car seemed like a better idea, she could always take her sweet time walking over to Em's.

After parking the Rabbit in the Black's shed-like garage, she planned on leaving the keys and cell phone in their mailbox. Walking towards the house, last thing she expected, was to run into Billy, wheeling himself out the door.

"**Hey, hun" **Billy said, a bit startled to see her there. And though he attempted a smile, it wasn't happening. **"Whatcha doing here? Its kinda early"**

The worry was clear on his face. His happy-go-lucky demeanor dimmed due to the circumstances.

"**Couldn't sleep"** she answered honestly** "I was gonna head over to Em's, but yeah, its a little too early" **he wrinkled her nose **"Came to drop off Jake's car first"** she pointed to the garage with her thumb. **"Figured I could baby step it to her house"**

"**Hun" **he cocked his brow, looking so much like Jake** "Right now is not the time to be walking around by yourself" **

"**I know" **she squirmed** "I'm sorry, but…"**

"…**Charlie's on his way to pick me up" **Billy interrupted** "We'll be gone fishing for the day, so the house is all yours"**

"**You wouldn't mind?" **He seemed slightly offended by the question, which instantly made Izzy sorry for making it. Before she could say anything, they heard Charlie's cruiser coming up the road. Billy gestured towards the house with his head, telling her to go inside. She kissed the top of his head when she got to the door, but before, going inside, she remembered what was in her back pocket, and took it out as she walked back to Billy. **"It's Jake's cell. Take it with you"** she said handing it to him **"I'll keep you updated, and call you if there's any news"**

"**Thanks, hun"** he smiled.

Billy had never phased, but the werewolf gene was in him, dormant in most ways, but in him still. His temperature was slightly higher than normal, not blazing like Jake's but warm, as if he was slightly feverish, and his hearing was more sensitive than most, like Izzy's, reason they both noticed Charlie's cruises was getting closer. With a hand squeeze, he headed out and she ran in.

Izzy loved everything about that small little barn house. The woodsy, musky scent that lingered, worn out, yet cozy furniture in the living room, the masculine vibe, with all the sports magazines laying around, the lack of décor, and only the practical essentials. As most of LaPush did to her, the house had a fantasy touch to it. It was like walking into a story book. She spent so many days in that house, with Jake, with Billy, with the guys. It was hard not to think of them when she was surrounded by so many reminders, but it was ok, she felt close to them somehow.

Finding something to occupy her mind with, was essential if she wanted to retain the little sanity she had left. Billy and Jake were extremely neat, as far as men went. Nonetheless, Izzy cleaned every last inch of that house, making beds, dusting, wiping every smooth surface, scrubbing floors, washing windows, cleaning out the fridge, she even did their laundry. But if it was like she was on speed, the house was spotless in less than 2 hours. With nothing left to do, she turned the tv on and curled up on the couch. Hugging a pillow Jake often used to nap on, which carried his scent, she stared out the window, wondering what was going on.

She must've gotten up a hundred times, with every intention of running out to the clearing, to help out in some way, or at least to make sure everyone was ok. Of course that was a horrible idea, the pack and the Cullens would freak at the sight of her, and would probably end up getting hurt trying to make sure she wasn't. Remembering that everytime she hit the door, she sat back down, having a panic attack or two. No news was supposed to be good news. But no news was frustrating as hell.

Noon seemed like a good time to head over to Emily's. If she didn't receive any news by then, off she would go. With reruns of one sort or another, by some random act of God, she managed to fall asleep. She darn near jumped outta her skin when she felt someone pet her head.

"**Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you" **Still holding her heart, she moved so he could sit beside her. **"Read your note. Figured you'd be here"**

She was about to say something when she came to a realization.** "You're talking to me"**

D smiled at her surprise. **"You're my sister. Why wouldn't I talk to you?"**

"**You're mad at me. Were? Are?"**

Once again he smiled**. "First of all, you're my baby sister…" **he squeezed her hand** "…no matter how mad I could ever get at you, I'll always be there for you when you need me" **She smiled at him. She'd been crying all morning, the waterworks started immediately, no shocker there** "And I wasn't mad at you, Izz. I was hurt. There'd never been any secrets between us"**

"**But it wasn't my secret to tell, D" **she defended herself** "Trust me, if it had been, if I had somehow turned into a werewolf, or…I don't know, got bitten by a vampire, you would've been the first person I would've called" **she turned, resting against the arm rest to face him **"I would've been like, 'D, I got something to tell you, and you better sit down' for real"**

He chuckled.** "I know. Its just…"**

She shook his head.** "Come on!" **she cocked her brow** "If the tables had been turned, if Leah had told you, and you found out everything before me, all the issues, understanding the vital necessity it was to keep it a secret, would you have told me?" **His silence said it all** "See?"**

"**I get it, I get it" **he mumbled** "But no more secrets, ok?"**

"**Pinkie swear" **she nodded, holding out her right pinkie.

With a smile, he hooked his pinkie with hers, using it to pull her close, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to mess up her hair.

"**Ok, so now that there's no secrets…" **As if there had never been a rift between them, D sat back and got comfortable** "…whats up with you and Jake? Are you his…imprintee? Cause I know there's been a lot of drama between you, but I also know there's a lot of love there too. Imma little confused. And another thing, I get how you got caught up in the werewolf thing, duh, Jake, but how the hell did you get involved with the vampires? Cause you're with them a lot too, Izz. The werewolves don't like it, so whats the deal? Is it just to piss Jake off?"**

"**Any other questions?" **she smirked sarcastically **"Ok, ok"** she exhaled as he cocked his brow **"D, it's a good thing you're sitting, cause I got a lot to tell you"**

D sat back and listened attentively as Izzy told him _everything_, widening his eyes, and ooh'ing and aah'ing at all the right moments. From how she met Jake, to seeing Embry phase and learning all about werewolves and vampires, the whole drama with Bella, her relation to Emmett, which lead to her friendship with the Cullens, the truth about her accident, what happened after and the consequences she was dealing with, and then finally she poured out her heart about her feelings for Jake. Izzy didn't hide a thing.

"**Damn, Izz"** D sighed **"That's a lot for a 16 year old to handle" **he said in his big brother tone **"How you dealing with it?"**

"**Oddly enough"** she smiled **"I'm good with it"**

She wasn't lying. After finding out werewolves and vampires were real, didn't leave much room for shock anymore. Witches, wizards, hell for all she knew, even zombies and aliens could be real too. Little issues in between, like finding out her many greats over was alive, and knowing there was vampire venom in her system, enhancing her senses, a walk in the park in the spectrum of things.

"**So what? My little sis can kick my ass now?"** he smirked

"**Probably"** she answered honestly, causing him to jump one her, tickling as he did when she was little.

She knew it was his way of making light of things, but it was easy to tell they were both dying on the inside. Leah was his soulmate, and he was just as worried about her as she was about Jake. His stomach growling brought an end to the tickle attack.

"**How 'bout we get some lunch"**

"**Lunch?"** she asked in shock

"**Its almost 11, Izz"** he smiled**"I don't think it'll be considered breakfast anymore"**

Her eyes widened. 11am? She'd been certain she'd dozed off only a few minutes before D appeared. It had actually been 2 hours.

Having cleaned out Billy's fridge, she knew what was in there, and what wasn't. If they wanted food, they were gonna have to make a quick run to the store. Just as they walked out the front door, a lone howl stopped her in her tracks. It was too close, and not deep enough to come from the pack, it had been Collin or Brady. But it had been an announcement. The time had arrived.

Instantly, the woods were filled with howls, growls and high-pitched screams, so loud it was all she could hear. She saw D run over, picking her off the floor, which she hadn't noticed crumpling to. More cries, more snarling. Next thing she knew, she was inside, in Billy's living room, surrounded by Sue, Kim, and Emily, who was wiping her face, which meant she was probably crying. D's arms were wrapped tightly around her, but she didn't know why. She could tell they were all talking, some even to her, but all Izzy could hear was the gruesome encounter. And then it all went silent.

"**Its over"**

She didn't know what was more frightening, to know they were fighting, or to know it had ended. She had no idea who had won. She had no idea who was still standing. Why the hell couldn't Collin or Brady stop by and let them know what the hell was going on?

"**Can I let you go now?"** D asked**"You're not gonna make a run for it?"**

Guess that's why he was holding on so tight. She hadn't been aware of anything, but it would make sense she wanted to go aid her loved ones. She shook her head slightly.

"**I'm ok"** Slumping down, she realized D had been the one holding her up.

"**Not ok"** he grunted, grabbing her before she hit the floor, sitting her on the couch.

Emily sat next to her, holding her shaky hand, Kim sat in the chair beside them, staring at the floor, her foot tapping away, Sue stood at the door, looking out towards the woods, probably hoping the pack would appear from within them pretty soon, and D stood at the window, one glance towards the woods, another towards Izzy, making sure she was ok.

The awkward silence seemed to last forever, and everyone was getting edgier by the second. Needing some fresh air to clear her head, she slowly stood and walked towards the front yard, everyone at her heels, no doubt ready to tackle her if she made the slightest move to run. She had reached the edge of the ramp when an ear-splitting howl of agony knocked her to her knees. She'd know that howl anywhere.

"**NO!"**

She couldn't breath, she couldn't move, she couldn't even scream anymore, a giant knot in her chest, her heart pounding like it was about to explode. Worst panic attack of her life. Then everything went black.

She must've blacked out for only a second, cause suddenly she felt blazing arms laying her down. Filled with anxiety, she opened her eyes to find Seth looking down at her, the rest surrounding the couch.

"**He's alive"** he instantly said, knowing that's what she wanted to hear **"They're on their way over here right now"**

"**Was he injured?" **she asked with desperation. He looked away. **"Seth, is he injured?"**

"**He don't really know, Izz" **Emily answered for him** "He just knows they're coming"**

Izzy had never made an effort to use her heightened senses, they just were, but this was the time if any. Tuning everyone out, she focused on the clearing, and was gladly surprised to find out she could hear very clearly. The pack was in fact on their way over, they were actually pretty close. Jake was alive, but had been injured. He was in a lot of pain, yelling and howling every obscenity he knew. The only thing that consoled her was knowing that if he had enough energy to drop f-bombs, his injuries could not be fatal. She couldn't sigh in relief though, not until she saw him with her own eyes and she was absolutely certain he would be ok.

It seemed like a lifetime before the trees rustled, and the first glimpse of the guys appeared from behind them. The image was not a good one. The guys were all huddled, walking in unison, carrying an agonizing Jake on their shoulders as he writhed in pain, dropping f-bombs left and right. Leah was just behind them, looking quite upset, an edge of guilt there under that anger.

Brady, who had gotten there at some point, ran out to them with a blanket, to cover Jake, which up till that moment, Izzy hadn't noticed was very naked. Sue, a registered nurse, instantly snapped into action, barking orders to Emily and Kim. Izzy couldn't move. She just stared in horror as the guys got closer and closer. D had to physically move her outta the way for the guys to come through. It wasn't until Jake reached for her hand that she snapped out of it.

Holding his hand was not the brightest idea. Jake clamped down on her hand, making it impossible to let go. As he was carried into his room, she was dragged along for the ride. Though it wasn't intentional, he squeezed everytime his body was moved around. When they had to settle him down on the bed, he squeezed so hard, she felt her bones snap. Good thing her hand was already numb by then, cause it was certainly broken now.

Jake slipped in and out of consciousness. The pain was so intense, he would pass out, but seconds later, the same pain brought him back. She wanted to soothe him, but was so afraid of touching him and causing him even more pain. All she could do was reassure him he would be ok, and answer him everytime he called her name, letting him know she was there and would remain so as long as he wanted her to.

In the living room, the pack was filling everyone else in on what had happened. The battle went down smoothly, killed every last newborn, but one had hidden in the outskirts. Leah, wanting to prove she was as hard as the guys, took him on alone and got more than she could handle. Jake knocked her outta the way, but left himself unprotected, the newborn wrapped his arms around him and ended up shattering most of the bones on the right side of his body before Sam and Paul got to him.

"**He's gonna be ok, Izz"** Sam said, placing a scorching hand on her shoulder as Sue began to wipe down Jake, who was covered in dirt and grass**"Dr. Cullen says he's healing already, they just have to make sure the bones set straight. He'll be here any minute"**

"**Why didn't he come with you?"**

"**Some complication" **he answered** "But he should…"**

Just then a car pulled up. The breeze carrying a sweet whiff with it as Carlisle and Edward walked in. The house went eerily silent, and it was Sue who went out to greet them and direct them to Jake's room.

"**Izzy, it would be better if you wait outside"** Carlisle suggested

The look she gave him was a silent 'that's not gonna happen'. Sam surprised her by actually agreeing with him.

"**I'll stay here with him"** he said. She cocked her brow at him **"Please? I'll never hear the end of it if he finds out you were hear watching him writhe and I didn't do anything about it"**

Men and their damn pride!** "Fine" **she grunted** "But one of you's gonna have to pry me away" **

The all looked confused until she looked at her hand. The jaws of life were gonna be needed to brake Jake's hold. Luckily she had three in the room. Even though he was unconscious, it took Edward and Sam to free her hand. Once the blood rushed back to her hand, the pain kicked in, something Edward noticed instantly. Grabbing a roll of bandaging tape from Carlisle's medical bag, he walked her into the living room.

She'd been right, her pinkie was broken and her hand was gonna bruised and soar for a while. Edward was bandaging up her hand, a temporary fix until Carlisle placed her in a cast, when Charlie's cruiser pulled up.

Everyone turned to Billy as he quickly wheeled himself in, but with Charlie right behind him, no one knew what to say.

"**He's in the room"** Edward stated **"My father is with him"**

"**He'll be ok" **Sue added **"Just some broken bones"**

Billy sighed in relief. Charlie looked beyond confused.

"**Broken bones?"** he asked **"What the hell happened?"**

The look of 'umm' was universal. Once again Edward had to jump in.

"**Motorcycle accident"** he answered **"With all the snow in the road, he lost control and crashed"**

"**Damn motorcycles!"** Charlie mumbled under his breath.

Every obscenity in the English vocabulary, and some from the Quileute, came from Jake's bedroom as Dr. Cullen worked on him. From what Izzy could hear, Jake began to heal so quickly, some bones had begun to set wrong. They would need to be rebroken and set right. A very painful process. And Jake couldn't be put under since he burned off the medication too rapidly. Things were gonna get quite loud. But they couldn't do anything until Charlie went home. Which seemed to be forever.

As he headed home, Edward urged everyone to go outside. They listened, but it didn't make much difference, Jake's screams could be heard from miles away. To Izzy, it was as if he was screaming into her eardrum. Curled up by Billy's legs, she cringed and squealed quietly everytime another bone was broken. Billy and her were squeezing each other's hands so hard, she might end up with two broken hands.

The sun had just gone down when she heard the loud rattling engine of Bella's truck approaching. Izzy's anger grew as the sound got closer. This was all Bella's fault. She was the reason the damn newborns showed up, she was the reason for so many of Jake's problems. And the bitch had the nerve to show up after all that. By the time Bella pulled up in Billy's driveway, Izzy was ready to kill.

All the anger, resentment, and jealousy she had been harboring for Bella, it finally reached it's boiling point, coming out like a runaway bullet, and Bella's face was the target.

It was a good thing no unknowing humans were around, cause Izzy was too pissed off to keep up appearances. She jumped up and lounged at Bella. Unfortunately, Paul was just a step away and caught her, wrapping his arm around her waist. But thanks to them momentum, he couldn't hold her back completely. Though the intention had been to knock the little bitch out cold, Izzy managed to hit her hard enough to knock her down. Bella hit the floor in a loud thump. And by the mark on her face, there was no doubt she would have a nice bruise for days.

"**I'd leave if I were you"** Paul smirked **"Cause if I let her go, you aint getting back up"**

Holding her face, Bella got up, and took a few steps back, enough to make sure Izzy couldn't swing at her again.

"**I understand why you think I deserve that" **she said to Izzy** "But I just need to make sure he's ok"**

"**You better pray he is ok!" **Izzy snapped** "Cause if he doesn't make a full recovery, as God as my witness, I'll make sure you don't either!"**

No one said a word. Everyone stood around and stared with wide eyes. It was Billy who broke the silence.

"**I think you better go, Bella"**

Just then, Carlisle walked out with Sam. The drama halted for a second as everyone turned to them for news.

"**The worst is over. He'll be alright"** Dr. Cullen stated **"I gave him some morphine but his body temperature will burn it off soon. I'll come back to set up a drip"** Everyone sighed in relief.

"**Thank you"** Billy stated, holding out his hand, which Carlisle instantly took, looking as if he was quite honored by the gesture.

Carlisle bowed slightly before turning to Izzy. **"He's asking for you"**

Not trusting she would not attack Bella again, Paul carried her inside the house. Waiting till they were past the living room to put her down.

"**If you're gonna yell at him, or slug him, wait till he's all better, alright" **Paul smiled** "Don't kick a dog while he's down"**

Punching him in the arm, she walked past by him. Hearing Paul dramatically whine as he walked outside, she opened Jake's bedroom door. He instantly looked up at her. He looked so pitiful, broken, bandaged, sweaty and hurting. She leaned against the doorframe, holding in the tears.

"**Hey, babe"**

"**Hey"** he groaned as she walked in and knelt by his side. **"I was worried about you"**

"**You were worried about **_**me**_**?" **she scuffed, wiping the sweat off his forehead** "**_**I**_** wasn't the one at war out there"**

"**I'm sorry to put you through all that. I'm sorry I've put you through so much"**

"**Jake"** she sighed **"Lets not talk about this right now"**

"**I rather get all the re-breaking done at once" **he argued** "I hurt you, Izz. I didn't mean to but I did. More than once. I know Chris has been there for you, and I know you have feelings for him. So if its him you choose…" **she opened her mouth to say something, but he shook his head, asking her to let him finish** "Izz, I'm done trying to stay away from you. I can't. But if you choose to be with him… can we at least be friends? I can't promise I'll behave"** he groaned when he tried to chuckle **"But I'll understand. I'll respect you and your relationship and …"**

She placed her index finger on his lips, shutting him up.** "Jake, I didn't fall in love with you overnight. It took time. And in case you haven't noticed, I've given you every last bit of me. You don't ever get over that. Not entirely. I love Chris, but not that way. And I would never, **_**ever**_**, use him to get over you" **She smiled.** "Now if you **_**want**_** me to go with Chris…"**

"…**of course not. Why…?"**

"**Then tell me what you want"**

"**I want you to be with me. I want us to be together. We should…"**

"…**be together?" **she smiled **"Ok. But I need you to get one thing straight"** she held up her finger **"I'm not gonna tell you Imma have my guard up, or that Imma be on the defense, or anything like that cause I don't things half-assed. And loving is not an exception" **she smiled** "But I will tell you that if you screw me over once again, there is no coming back from that. You might own my heart, mister, but I won't allow you to break it again"**

"**Never again"**

"**Then I aint going anywhere"**

It was obvious it hurt him to smile, but he gave her that heartwarming smile she loved. She arched over and slightly kissed his lips.

"**God, I love you" **he whispered.

"**I love you more"**

It was a sweet moment, but it was over in a heartbeat. She could pinpoint the exact moment he noticed her hand. His facial expression changed instantly.

"**What happened to your hand?"**

Oh no! They were so not gonna go there right now.** "Nothing" **she shook her hand. He might still be broken, but knowing him, he was about to make a huge fuzz, treating her like she was the one who needed to be hospitalized. And if he found out it was him who broken her hand… nope not gonna go through that again**. "Nothing at all"**


	34. Chapter 34

After the little incident with Bella, Izzy was expecting to get some kind of grief from Jake, or at least a 'you shouldn't have done that' speech. It wasn't the case. It wasn't like he didn't know, she knew for a fact Billy and the guys have given him a play by play of her little outburst, apparently, he had just decided not to bring it up. Instead, for the next few weeks, Izzy had to hear him complain nonstop about the stupid crutches he hated so much.

Thanks to werewolf quick healing, it had taken Jake all but a week to be 100% back to normal, but thanks to Charlie seeing him, and spreading word of his 'motorcycle accident', he was forced to wobble around in the darn things. Izzy found it hilarious, something that aggravated him even more. Of course he only used them when he absolutely had to, most times he would phase to run here and there and sneak in and out of places before people saw him, like Em, Sue, or Izzy's house.

The battle with the newborns had been the most horrific moment of Izzy's life. Sitting around and waiting to see if your friends and loved ones come home, its enough to make you go insane with worry. Seeing Jake be carried home, wounded, it had actually caused her to snap, landing Bella a right hook. Though it was not her proudest moment, she didn't regret it. But with that little 'incident' put aside, the battle actually brought some good. The Cullen's and the pack were no longer enemies. They weren't friends either, but becoming allies and partners in combat, produced a mutual respect. They were at least cordial to one another, which made things a lot easier for those who bounced back and forth between vampire and werewolf land.

Another good the battle brought? she and Jake were back together and closer than ever. Izzy wasn't big on girly mush, but she had to admit, holding hands, public displays of affection, and being introduced as his girlfriend, pretty darn good.

But whenever there is good, there is also bad. Loosing her temper had caused her a little rift with the Cullens. When it came to Izzy and Bella, the Cullen household was divided, Bella was Edward's life, Alice was Bella's best friend, Carlisle and Esme were impartial, loving them both equally, Jasper liked them both, but thanks to Emmett, found Izzy a lot easier to be around, scent wise, Rosalie didn't like Bella, and loved Izzy as a little sister, and though Emmett cared about Bella, Izzy was his blood, and loved her as such.

Izzy's remoteness was expected at first, the Cullens knew she would stay by Jake's side until he was completely healed. She always called and texted, so when week 2 rolled around, they figured she was enjoying her reconciliation with Jake, which they completely understood. But after the third week came and went, Carlisle and Esme paid her a visit.

Though they claimed the family understood the situation between her and Bella, and declared themselves as impartial, deciding to remain completely out of the squabble, it was a little hard to drop by when Edward and Bella could be there, or show up at any time. Izzy continued to call and text them, always promising to drop by _some other time_, but she really didn't have any intention on doing so anytime soon. A month after the battle, and Izzy had yet to set foot at the Cullen house.

But hanging out with Emmett and Rosalie was not outta the question. Knowing she would be spending her birthday in LaPush, they invited her to dinner and movie the night before. Of course that would mean dinner for _her_, and then a movie or two.

Going out with Rosalie, meant stepping up her fashion game a notch, reason why Izzy opted for a cute, strapless, khaki dress and killer t-strapped wedges that matched and went perfectly with it. She was gearing up with the matching accessories, when D hollered from the living room.

"**Izz! They're here for you!"**

Grabbing her cell off her desk, she ran outta her room. She reached the top of the stairs and…record scratch. _Whoa!_ Last person she ever expected to see standing in the middle of her living room. Edward Cullen.

"**Hello"** he smiled as he turned to her. Even wider when he got a look at her expression. **"Emmett and Rosalie sent me to get you" **Note to self: kill Emmett and Rosalie. **"Shall we?"** Edward held out his elbow in a gentlemanly way, and Izzy wanted to die.

D could read her like a book, instantly knowing something was wrong. Big brother that he was, caring and protective, he blocked Edward's way. With every intention of taking on a vampire if need be. Bless his heart.

"**Look, Edward"** she sighed, knowing squashing things was the best.

Edward could read minds, of course he knew what they were thinking, and what needed to be said.

"**Izzy"** Edward stated **"Bella is…everything to me. And then some" **he smiled **"But she's a big girl. As are you. And as such, you shall work out your differences, on your own terms, when the time is right" **he smiled, his facial expression turning to that 'you know better' face she often got from Ma and D. **"Fighting and making up is what families do. Heaven knows how many blows Jasper, Emmett and I have exchanged"** he smirked **"But in the end, we will always be family. And that's what you are. You and Bella are part of the Cullen family, Izzy. Do not forget that. I, like everyone else back home, will not interfere, nor take sides in this matter"**

"**Ok" **she nodded. She had to admit she was a little embarrassed. Edward's words and behavior made her feel like a vindictive child who had thrown a fit.

"**So will you please stop avoiding us?"** he smiled **"Emmett is seriously getting on my last nerve"**

D eased up, stepping aside and going back to watching the game on tv. Smiling, Izzy hooked her arm around Edward's. With a wave to her brother, they were quickly on their way.

Thanks to Edward's driving, they were at the Cullen house in no time. The fact that she could smell the Chinese food from the front door, was enough to let her know there would be no dinner and a movie, at least not out. And there wasn't. They gathered around the living room's plasma, watching a movie as Izzy ate dinner, played some Rock Band on the Playstation after that, and when they were all laughed out, another movie it was.

At midnight, officially her 17th birthday, Alice went crazy, running in with a pyramid of red velvet cupcakes on a silver platter.

"**From Cupcakes Squared"** she beamed

"**Oh, my god!"** Izzy squealed **"You remembered?" **Only once, during the first week of school, had she mentioned cupcakes from Cupcakes Squared were not only the best in San Diego, but in all the world. Red velvet being her favorite.

"**Of course" **Alice said in mock offense

First impulse was to grab the platter and start shoving yummy cupcakes down her throat, as fast as she could. But it was presents time, so the pigging out would have to wait. Knowing how much she loved to read, Carlisle and Esme gave her a kindle, and Edward and Jasper gave her a $500 gift certificate to Borders. To get her started on her eBook collection.

"**You will find our present…"** Rosalie touched Alice's shoulder, letting Izzy know who the 'our' referred to **"…in your closet when you get home"**

"**Aka, an entire wardrobe"** Emmett smirked

"**You did not!" **Izzy gaped in a combination of shock and embarrassment.

"**A girl cannot start a new school year without new clothes" **Alice said matter-of-factly

"**In Cullen land!"** Izzy chuckled **"Not the case here in real life. Besides, school don't start for another 2 months"**

"**Considering they've been shopping for weeks" **Edward smirked** "They've waited far too long…" **

"**Shut it, Edward!" **Rosalie snapped** "No one asked you"**

"**They just needed an excuse to give it to you" **Edward chuckled, gracefully dodging cupcakes Rosalie and Alice threw at him.

"**There is something else" **Esme smiled, shaking her head at her 'kids' who began throwing things at each other.

"**But we must to go outside" **Carlisle added.

All the time in the world, and the darn vamps were too impatient to wait the minute it would take her to walk outside. Next thing she knew, she was zooming it somewhere. It wasn't till Emmett placed her down, and things stopped spinning, that Izzy realized she was outside the Cullen garage.

"**Since your **_**motorcycle accidents**_**"** Carlisle smiled **"We know Mary has not be very happy with your choice in method of transportation…"**

"…**in other words" **Emmett interrupted** "Since your can't ride your bike no more, you need new wheels"**

After her 'accident', Ma put her foot down. No more bike for Izzy. As a matter of fact, she had pretty much ordered her to place her bike for sale and buy a new car. A safe car. But Izzy couldn't bring herself to sell the bike, instead she had given it to D. Ma wasn't too happy about him riding it either, but he was 22, not much she could do about it. Izzy had been needing a new car, but she didn't want just any car, she'd been researching , finally narrowing it down to two. But neither model was easily found. But they couldn't have, could they?

"**Are you trying to tell me…?"** Rosalie opened the garage door. Yes, they did. **"OH!" **she screamed before covering her mouth in shock. A silver, 2001 BMW M3 Street Edition, was parked between Emmett's Jeep and Alice's Ferrari, A big red bow on top of it. Her dream car since D had test driven one when he got his license. She had gone on a massive hunt for one when it was time to buy her own car, but unable to find one, had gotten her bike instead **"How did you…?"**

"…**you think about it everytime you see Rose's car" **Edward smiled.

Rosalie's was red, a convertible, and with a slightly different body, but an M3 after all. Izzy couldn't help but think of her dream car everytime she saw it.

"**This is like…the best gift ever" **Izzy squealed, trying her hardest not to cry** "I can't thank you enough" **she began to give hugs all around** "It's so freaking awesome!"**

After jumping around some more, giving more hugs and thank you's, and getting all the deetz on the car from Jasper, Edward and Emmett, Izzy was ready to get going and take her wheels on it's voyage ride. With a key toss from Rosalie, she was about to get on when Jasper stopped her, grabbing a hold of her arm. Shocked the hell outta her for a minute. Jasper didn't touch others often.

"**There is something else"** he stated, holding out his hand, a small black box balancing on his palm **"From all of us"**

Izzy was used to being spoiled on her birthday. Getting present did not embarrass her or anything, but it was a little awkward to be getting even more from people who had already gone through the trouble of ordering her takeout from outta town, flown cupcakes in from her hometown, gotten her god knows how many clothes, a kindle and money to buy books, and hello, a new car. Her dream car.

"**You only turn seventeen once"** Edward half-smiled, having read her thoughts.

With a sigh, she went to get the box, but Emmett beat her to it. Only knowing he was doing something to her wrist by the quick touch of his icy fingers.

The seven vampires stared at her, waiting for her reaction. Emmett was smiling so hard, it looked like it hurt. It took her a moment to realize what exactly she was supposed to react to. The slightly extra weight at her wrist clued her in.

On her bracelet, adjacent to the J charm Jake had given her, hung a small charm. It was a miniature version of Rosalie's pendant, Alice's chocker, Edward, Jasper, and Emmett's wristbands, and Carlisle and Esme's rings. The Cullen crest.

Izzy had officially become part of the family.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

There was no doubt in his mind, that Emily had been up cooking since Dawn. The pack had done three trips already, and they weren't even halfway done with all the platters. When he'd asked Emily and Lala for help with Izz's surprise birthday party, he'd been expecting nothing more than a cake, some burgers and hot dogs on the grill, and a nice time with friends, not the case.

Emily wouldn't allow less than a banquet feast direct from the Food Channel for Izz, and Lala would not be satisfied until First Beach resembled a much colder Hawaiian beach, coconut trees and all.

Fearing rain would ruin the decorations, which included, tiki torches, lots of grass skirts, tropical themed items and whatnots, the guys didn't decorate till early that morning, reason why they were still running around taking food.

As far as Izz knew, Jake would be picking her up in the evening, for a dinner at Em's. It was Mark and Lala's job to keep her busy while the party was set up, and find an excuse to go to First Beach around 1pm. She was smart enough to know there would be a surprise party, just not when or where she expected it.

By noon, the sun was shining high, figures mother nature would choose Izz's birthday to give Forks a sunny, rain-free day, and everyone, including a couple of girls Lala had invited for Paul and Embry, and Quil, since she wasn't aware of his imprinting on Claire, were waiting for Mark to arrive with Izz. His dad, Sue, Quil Sr., and Mary, were sitting around, talking, and keeping an eye on the food, to make sure no one attacked ahead of time. The pack, pups, and guests, were huddled around Andy's set up, listening to music, bobbing heads and having small talk. Mark was taking his sweet ass time and Jake was getting restless.

"**Calm down, bro"** Embry smirked **"She'll be here"**

"**I'm fine"** he barked, giving his friend a 'what the hell are you talking about' look.

Embry laughed, looking down at Jake's leg. **"Yeah, sure, you **_**always **_**shake your leg like that" **

Sarcasm. Hilarious. Jake rolled his eyes. He was about to tell him to get off his grill, when he heard Mark's car pull up to the gravel that marked the beach's parking. A car door opened and closed, then a second, instantly, the sweet scent of honeysuckle blew over. His girl had arrived. Of course he wasn't the only one who heard it, and Sam got everyone in formation to yell surprise.

"**What are we doing at the beach?"** Izz complained **"Mark, I am so not wearing the right shoes to be walking on sand. I fall and I swear I'll kill you"**

Mark laughed, obviously amused with his sister's irritation**. "You'll see" **chuckled** "And I won't let you fall, sis. I'll go slow, just hold on to my hand"**

"**I **_**can't**_** see! You've made sure of that" **she snapped

"**You will, grumpy. Gosh, girls can be so dramatic"**

"**You are **_**so**_** lucky I love you" **she grinded

It didn't take a genius to figure out Mark had blindfolded Izz, and was guiding her to them, which she was not happy about. Though the visual was hilarious, the possibility of her falling, had Jake wanting to rush over and carry her. But that would ruin the surprise, would it? He had to sit back and pray she didn't eat sand, cause if she did, he would definitely make sure Mark did to.

It didn't take long to see the beauty walking blindly down the beach. She was definitely not wearing shoes to be walking through uneven terrain. 5 inch wedges complimented her long toned legs, which were on stunning display thanks to the little black shorts she wore, topped with a red, buttoned up blouse. It was easy she sensed the presence of the crowd before she reached them, but she was still shocked when the blindfold came off and everyone yelled. Their 'surprise' was no doubt heard all the way to Forks.

With a radiant smile from ear to ear, Izz made her rounds, hugging everyone, and thanking them for everything. She was the birthday girl, he knew he would have to share her for the day, but he was happy when he finally had her in his arms, all to himself. Sorta. With her mother and brothers there, he could only enjoy her so much.

Taking her hand, intertwining their fingers, Jake noticed an addition to the bracelet he had given months back. She seemed to be a bit embarrassed when he pulled up her wrist for inspection. It was easy to see why. The addition happened to be a family crest.

"**So you're officially a Cullen now?"**

"**Jake"** she whispered, pulling her hand away, along with her eyes** "Not now, ok?"**

"**Hey" **he said, pulling her back to him. Her eyes slowly made their way up to his** "Its ok. I mean, they **_**are**_** your family" **Her shoulders relaxed **"I don't like it…" **he half-smiled** "…but I'm…ok with it"**

She smiled wide and kissed the hollow of his neck, which was were her lips reached without tiptoeing.

No one was surprised to see Izz toss her shoes aside and begin the party. There was a lot of eating, a lot of laughing, and lot of dancing throughout the afternoon. Even Mary and Sue partook in the dancing. After everything they had been through in the last months, it was nice to have a fun, carefree day. Everyone had a great time.

By the time the sun went down, the ancestors, aka, his dad, Sue, Quil Sr., and Mary, packed up the decorations, Claire, and the pups, and left the beach. The pack had a bonfire set up in no time, and the sixteen teenagers (well for the most part) huddled around it, sitting on fallen tree trunks, and or logs. It didn't take long for 'spin the bottle' and other perverted games began to get played. It was surprising their hooting and hollering didn't have Charlie coming over to break it up.

With everyone so preoccupied with the games, Jake and Izz were able to slip away for some alone time. Of course they didn't_ really_ slip away, cause not much gets past the pack, but they were nice enough to pretend not to notice.

Carrying her piggy back had become a daily thing, without asking, in a perfectly choreographed move, Izz jumped on his back, wrapping her legs around his torso as he held on to her thighs. They were at the top of the cliff in a flash.

Looking over the shore, where their friends and family huddled around the fire, enjoying the starry night, down at the white foam that formed as the black waves crashed against the rocks, and up at the luminous moon and the diamond-like stars, Izz's legs dangled over the edge as she laid back against Jake's chest, his arms wrapped around her waist, her arms over his.

It was a peaceful night. For the first time in a very long time, everything seemed to be perfect, and Jake would do anything for every night to be the same. His friends were safe, happy, his beautiful girl was in his arms, he could stay like that forever, but he had taken Izz up there for a reason. Well, maybe more than one, but first things first.

Gradually unwrapping one of his arms from around Izz, deliberately making his movements too slow to be perceived, Jake retrieved the small velvet pouch from his back pocket. Enclosing it in his hand, he returned his arm to its resting place.

"**Its such a beautiful night"** she whispered, her jade eyes focused in the twinkling lights above.

"**Do you remember what I told you when I asked you to move your bed away from the window?"**

"**Yeah"** she chuckled as he kissed her shoulder.

Izz insisted on not only sleeping with her bedroom window wide open, but her bed was right under it, practically putting her out in the woods. When he'd urged her to close her window, or at least move her bed, she refused, claiming she couldn't go to sleep without looking up at the moon and the stars. His promise had been to get her the moon and stars.

He turned his hand palm up and open it, revealing the little pouch. **"Happy birthday, babe"** he kissed her skin at the curve of her neck.

A small gasp escaped her. She looked between him and the pouch with uncertainty, and it took a smile of encouragement for her to take the pouch from his hand.

Carefully pulling the ribbon, she opened the pouch and emptied the contents in her palm. The little moon and star charms shined under the moonlight, and her eyes instantly filled with tears.

"**Oh, my god"** she breathed, covering her mouth, blinking the tears away. He took the charms and her wrist **"They're beautiful" **she sobbed with a smile as he placed the additions on her bracelet **"I love them! Thank you so much"**

Turning to take his face in her hands, she kissed him deeply before returning to rest back against his chest, admiring her bracelet.

"**Im glad you liked them"** he smiled , moving her curls aside to kiss the skin of her neck **"But no more charms" **he chuckled** "You're bracelets beginning to get a little crowded"**

In a movement far quicker than he would expect, cause he kept forgetting she wasn't entirely human anymore, she no longer sat facing away from him, but straddled him, her jade eyes locked on his as she held his face between her hands.

"**My bracelet, like my heart, has plenty of room"** she smiled

Not hard to read between those lines. She was absolutely amazing. A smile mirroring hers crossed his face and he couldn't help but claiming her luscious lips.

"**You have no idea how much I love you" **he breathed

She smiled.** "I still love you more"**

**... *** ... *** ... *** ... *** ... *** ... *** ... *** ... *** ****... *** ... *** ... *** ... *** ... *** ... *** ... *** ... ***... *** ... *** ... *** ... *****

BECAUSE A LOT OF YOU HAVE ASKED TO SEE IZZY'S NECKLACE, I HAVE ADDED IT TO THE STORY PICS **DESTINYSTORY. TUMBLR .COM **

AND YOU CAN ALWAYS CHECK OUT IZZY'S OUTFITS **IZZYLMCCARTY . TUMBLR. COM**

**! **IZZY AND OTHER CHARACTERS HAVE JOINED** FACEBOOK! **FRIEND THEM** WWW. FACEBOOK .COM / IZZY . LUNAMCCARTY**


	35. Chapter 35

Even though it was summer break, someone always came up with one plan or another that involved getting up early. Weekends were the days Izzy had designated as sleep-ins, but when Embry and Quil concocted a plan to spend all Saturday in Port Angeles, she couldn't say no. She had gotten up at 6am to get ready for an hour ride, to spend an invigorating morning in the junk yard, looking for parts for Embry's dirt bike, followed by a massive lunch, and ending the afternoon with a movie, and lots of munchies. Not exactly a dream date for any girl, but she would be accompanied by three hotties she loved, it would be nothing less than an awesome day.

She wasn't planning on splashing around in mud, but given who she was going with, she knew better than to get dressed up. After her shower, she slipped on some denim capris and a t-shirt. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she was slipping her sneakers on when she heard a tap at the window. Rather than get startled, she sighed. Will anyone ever use the front door again?

"**May I come in?"**

That definitely got her attention. **"Sure"** she frowned at her visitor. Edward had never 'dropped by' before. **"I think you're the first one to ever ask for permission" **she chuckled **"Everyone else just barges right in"**

"**I wouldn't think of it" **he smiled. After taking a look around the room, he sat on the chair at her desk. He was too polite to say anything, but by the way he eyed everything, she knew what he was thinking.

"**Not what you were expecting, right?"**she smiled. He looked a little confused at her statement. Used to reading other minds, having his own picked was certainly a big switch for him. She laughed.** "It's the first thing everyone says when they walk in here" **she chuckled** "FYI, I didn't decorate, Ma did. And I didn't wanna hurt her feelings by changing everything around"  
**

"**Ah" **he nodded with a little smile as the girly décor suddenly made sense.

There was a moment of awkward silence. But Izzy was not called brutally honest for no reason. She plopped on her bed, facing Edward.

"**To what do I owe the pleasure?"**

He half-smiled **"Would I need a reason?" **He was definitely up to something, and though she smiled, she cocked her brow. **"I couldn't just pass by to say, hello?"**

"**You never have before" **she argued** "I don't mind or anything. Its just…**_**different**_**"**

For the first time, Izzy noticed the strange sound vampire skin made when it made contact, like two pieces of chalk rubbing against one another. Edward was resting his elbows on his knees, fingers intertwined, tapping one thumb with another. The sound was weird but somehow fascinating, and she found herself staring at his icy hands.

The sound of fabric shifting brought her attention to his face. He was smiling. Following his eyes, she found he was looking at the picture frame on her desk. A picture of her with Jake, Quil and Embry that Lala had taken the first time they had gone to Port Angeles with the guys.

"**Your mind had become like…**_**Swiss cheese**_** to me"**

"**What?" **she remarked. Talk about random topic.** "What do you mean?"**

He took a deep breath as he turned to her. Since vampires didn't need to breath, it made Izzy wonder if it had been for dramatic effect, or if it had been just outta habit.

"**Full of wholes" **he smirked **"After your accident, your mind began to come to me in waves. Sometimes I got it all, sometimes, very little, and sometimes there was nothing coming to me at all" **he explained. Though it seemed like he was talking more to himself than anything else.** "The reason for it perplexes me" **he admitted** "I have theories, but none are solid"**

She had to admit she was curious.** "What are the theories?"**

His face lit up, the way Mrs. Henderson, the elderly next door neighbor's, did when someone asked her about her roses. Of course in her case, the question was usually small talk out of courtesy, as in 'hello, Mrs. Henderson, how are the roses coming along?', you were looking for a 'very well' or maybe a 'lovely', but if you happened to ask during one of her lonely days, she would end up going on and on about gardening for the next hour, making you regret you ever asked.

"**It is actually two theories"** he said a bit shyly. **"Now that I think about it…" **he said softly, the wheels in his head definitely turning **"…maybe it is both. An odd combination of both"**

"**The theories?"** she waved her hand, the universal sign for 'move it along'. Jake and the guys were do at any moment. It wouldn't be a nice reunion.

"**Oh, right"** he smiled **"First theory is that it is a side effect to the venom. Of course vampires are basically walking, talking venom, and I have no problem reading **_**their**_** thoughts, but maybe because you are human with venom running through your system"** She nodded. It very well could be **"The second theory would your relationship with Jacob" **She frowned, not making the connection. "**By birthright, Jacob is the chief of LaPush, and the rightful Alpha to the pack" E**dward and Jake had a long history of enmity, but his words carried a lot of respect. **"The shapeshifters are magical beings, it would only make sense Jake's magic be stronger"** She still wasn't making the connection. **"Did you know Alice can't **_**see**_** the wolves? Whenever they are near, or involved, she looses her visions"**

"**I sorta remember her saying something about it the night of the graduation party" **Izzy had been too busy having a panic attack to pay much attention.

"**There are theories about that too"** he smiled **"Carlisle believes that as humans, the animal is always within them, hiding underneath the surface, waiting to come out. And when they phase, they are no longer human, yet they aren't entirely animal either. They retain their human mentality, yet act by instinct not decision, placing them in a constant limbo. Which…"**

"…**which means they don't truly exist, reason Alice can't see them"**

"**Exactly" **he nodded **"Alice believes it is a defense mechanism they are born with. I once again believe it is a combination of both" **He sighed. Obviously annoyed with not having a conclusive answer. **"But back to you"** he smiled, turning his yellow eyes to her **"I believe that same magic that protects the wolves from Alice's visions, somehow protects your mind"**

"**But it doesn't protect **_**their **_**minds from you" **she argued** "And Alice **_**can**_** see me"**

"**Alone, the theories leave a lot to wonder, but it we combine both theories, it makes better sense, doesn't it?"**

"**In other words, human plus vamp venom plus magical werewolf boyfriend, means fuzzy mind for mind-reading vamp"** she smirked

"**Yes"** he nodded with a crooked smile.

"**So glad we cleared that up"** she chuckled

After a small laugh, Edward sat up straight. **"You were right"**

"**What about?" **she frowned.

"**There is a reason for my…peculiar visit"**

She cocked her brow with an 'I knew it' smile. He took out a large, ivory, fancy-looking envelope from his back pocket. She knew exactly what it was because there had been one in the mail the day before. Holding it between his index and middle fingers, he held it out to her. She probably looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

"**We got one already. Yesterday"**

"**That was for Mary. And your brothers"** he stated **"You do not need one. Though I am giving you one as a formality"**

"**Look, Edwar…"**

"**You are family, Izzy"** he cut her off, placing the card in her hand **"If we do the math, I am your uncle" **She wanted to laugh. It would definitely be more like great-great-uncle, adoptive, and maybe one or twice removed **"I expect you to be there, standing with the rest of the family, because that is what family does"**

"**Do you really think Bella's gonna want me at her wedding?"** she argued. **"Me being there, is so not a good idea"**

"**Not only does she know how much this means to me, but she does not recent you for what happened. On the contrary, she believes she deserved it" **The look on his face made it obvious he didn't agree.** "To be quite honest with you, she was quite shocked you hadn't done it sooner" **She frowned.** "She had been expecting it since the night of the graduation party"**

Remembering the confrontation they had that night, getting decked was the least Bella could expect from Izzy. A bit embarrassed, she looked away from Edward's eyes.

What an dilemma. She couldn't attend the wedding without feeling like she was intruding in a moment she shouldn't be anywhere near, and it also felt a bit like a betrayal to Jake. But she also couldn't miss the wedding without letting her family down. And she would never let her family down if she could help it.

"**Whether you were walking down the aisle with Jacob, with Chris, or with the creature from the green lagoon" **he smirked before turning serious **"I, like the rest of your family, would be standing behind you, supporting you on your big day. I expect the same from you" **She was gonna say something, anything, but he was dangling from her window sill in a heartbeat.She wanted to come up with a solid, dead-lock good reason for declining the invitation, but she couldn't. It was really an invitation, it was a request, an expectation from a family member. Damn it!** "Alice has your dress" **Edward smiled, obviously knowing what the outcome was gonna be **"You may pick it up, or show up early so they can have their fun getting you ready" **Damn vamps! She looked for something to throw at him, but he was no loner there. His laugh and voice drifted from within the trees** "Call Alice!"**

… ******* … ***** … ***** …**

Jake wound down the curves of the road at massive speed. Izz's car was a dream to drive, better than anything he had even ridden in, much less driven, and unless he ever got a chance to test drive a Lamborghini or something, it would probably remain that way.

Quil and Embry were crumpled up in the backseat, fighting over the stereo, one complaining over the music pick of the other while Izz sat quietly in the front seat, staring out the window into the dark, blurry abyss the woodsy scenery offered.

Izz had laughed and goofed around with them all day, throwing mud balls at them at the junk yard, clowning them over the amount of food they ate during lunch, and then flicking popcorn and candy at Quil and Embry while they tried to play rico-suave with some girls at the movies. To anyone else, she would've seemed like her normal self, not to Jake. Whenever she thought no one was watching, she felt silent, staring into nothing, thinking something over very hard. Jake was dying to know what was on her mind, what was afflicting her, but he wasn't about to hound her about it with the guys around.

Though they hadn't mentioned anything, the guys had picked up on the bloodsucker's sickly sweet scent the moment they got near Izz's house. Edward had definitely been there just before they got there. But Izz didn't bring it up, and they felt wrong doing so. Last thing they wanted was to make her feel like they were checking up on her, or like she couldn't hang out with her 'family' without things getting awkward with him or the pack. He couldn't help but wonder if that visit had been the reason for her behavior.

As soon as she noticed Jake was watching her, she squeezed his arm with a smile, and began to do her usually playful arguing with the guys. It remained that way for the rest of the drive home.

Mrs. Ateara was walking outta his house when they pulled up to the house. No longer had Quil gotten off the car, than his mom was dragging him home, nagging him about him never being home anymore. Jake, Izz and Embry laughed as they headed towards the garage, where Embry was gonna get the tools he was borrowing to do some work on his bike. Leaving him to get what he needed, Izz jumped on Jake's back, getting a piggy back ride to the house.

His dad was waiting at the door for them. A smile from ear to ear. Odd. Inviting Izz to have a seat, serving the a couple of cokes at the dinning table, the questions began, how did their trip go, what did they do, did they have fun, question after question followed by random and lame small talk. Hell, he even talked about the weather. The weather. Jake frowned at him. His dad was never one to be talk too much. When he did, it was usually because there was something in particular he had to say but did want to.

"**Whats with you, old man?"**

"**Jake!" **Izz scolded

"**Can't a dad have a conversation with his son and his lovely girlfriend"** he smiled and wiggled his brows at Izz when he said 'lovely girlfriend'. Jake cocked his brow. **"Mail came today"** Jake sighed, long and deep, clearly annoyed. There was mail just about everyday. Mostly junk mail, or bills, depending on the time of the month. After a short pause, his dad finally spoke **"There was…"**

It was easy to see that was the subject he had been trying to avoid. Izz didn't look to good either. If she could've disappeared, she would've.

"…**you know what"** she jumped up from Jake's lap, interrupting his dad** "Its getting late. I should go"**

"**Go?" **It was dark, but it was only 9pm, nowhere near her curfew.

"**Do you really gotta go, honey?"** his dad asked. The look they shared meant a lot of things Jake was gonna get to the bottom of.

"**Yeah"** she nodded, looking at his dad and not at Jake **"I gotta date with Lala, girls night, you know"**

Izz hadn't mentioned anything about having plans with Lala. It seemed weird. But then there was a lot of weird going on. Before he could stop her, she ducked to kiss his lips lightly and off she ran. Through the window he saw her bumping into Embry, they didn't leave, they stood by her car, talking. Something was definitely up.

He was about to grill his dad, but when he turned to him, it was he who spoke first.

"**We got a letter today"**

"**A letter?"**

"**Well, not so much a letter, but a…wedding invitation"** Every muscle in Jake's body tensed. Heat brushed down his back and he held on to the table to keep his hands steady. His dad pretended not to notice. **"There's a note inside addressed to you. I didn't read it" **Wedged between his leg and the chair, had been the envelope he hadn't noticed before. **"You probably don't need to read it. Don't really matter"**

It was lame to use reverse psychology, but damn it if he didn't yank the envelope from his dad's hand. Stiff, expensive, foreign to Forks, everything about the invitation was Edward, not an inch of Bella in it. Inside the invitation was a handwritten note, the writing fancy like the rest of it. He flipped it open, nearly ripping the paper.

_**Jacob,**_

_**I'm breaking the rules by sending you this. She was afraid of hurting you, and she didn't want to make you feel obligated in any way. But I know that if things had gone the other way, I would have wanted the choice. **_

_**I promise I will take care of her, Jacob. Thank you – for her – for everything.**_

_**Edward**_

"**Jake, we only have the one table" **his dad exclaimed, staring at his left hand, which was pulverizing the edge of the wood**. "Oh, whatever"**

Jake ripped off his shirt as he stood. She was gonna do it, she was gonna marry the bloodsucker. She was leaving behind her family, her life, her future, she was leaving him behind, forever forgotten, to be with that…thing. Jake was loosing his best friend, she would marry Edward, turn into one of them, and be happy, not giving a damn about all those who would mourn her. Marching to the door, he wished no one else was phased. Last thing he wanted to deal with was his pack's pity, and or unwanted advice.

"**Think of Izzy!"** his dad called out as the front door burst open, thanks to his fists.

His body knew what it wanted, but it stopped dead in it's tracks the moment he stepped outside. Izz was sitting on the hood of her car. Waiting for him. Then it hit him. She had known all along. That had been the reason for her moments of silence.

For a moment, they stood there, motionless, speechless, staring into each other's eyes. Her eyes were watery, and it was obvious she was hurting for him. The guilt for his feelings felt like he'd gotten punched in the stomach. The understanding in her eyes hurt even worse. He hadn't notice she was moving until her arms were tightly around him.

"**I'm sorry"** she whispered into his chest **"I know how you must feel"**

"**Izz.."**

"**Jake" **she reached up to cup his face **"Romantic past aside, she's your best friend. If I knew Lala was getting married to my mortal enemy, was dying, literally, to become a vampire, was totally ok with tossing her life away, her friends, family, future, me included, it would kill me"**

He hugged her so tight he felt her spine shift.

"**You are amazing, you know that" **he whispered into her hair.

"**Yeah" **she nodded, looking up at him with a sad smile. Concern and worry for him all over her face** "And I'm here for you"**

"**I can't deal, Izz" **he admitted **"I want to…but, I just…can't. I need…"**

"…**to get away?" **she finished the thought he couldn't say out loud. His silence said it all.** "Go" **she nodded**. **He frowned, unable to move. She sighed.** "I understand, Jake. I understand you need time to deal with this. I understand that you need distance from here right now. I'll be here when you get back"**

Jake always knew he didn't deserve Izz. Now it was clearer than ever. He would never be worthy of her love, yet she gave it to him unconditionally. He had never loved her more than in that moment. He kissed her with a passion and intensity he had never felt before.

"**I **_**will**_** come back" **he stated, using his thumb to wipe off the tear that escaped her.

"**I know"** she smiled **"I aint going anywhere, remember?"**

His deafening howl filled the night as he phased, and though he knew Izz was watching his as he disappeared into the woods, it hurt to much to look back. He needed time, he needed space, he needed speed. Blurs of green, black and brown was all he saw, and the path was all he though about as he ran, hoping to leave his pain, his loss, and his past behind.

*****…***…***…***…***…***…***…***…***…***…***…***…***…***…***…***…**

**The bad news is there is only one chapter left. The good news is that this is definitely not the end of the story xD.**

**Comment!**


	36. Chapter 36

With a sexy, one shouldered short dress that looked painted on, black matching, killer black heels that brought her up to a statuesque 6'2, according to Esme, and enough bling-bling to give Jacobs & Co. a woody, compliments of Rosalie, Izzy knew she looked smoking hot. Too bad she didn't feel that way.

"**All done"** Alice smiled as she let loose the last curl. The pixie had traded her spikes for curls, and looked stunning in a silver floor-length dress **"If we could only get you to smile…"** she said by a slightly scolding tone **"…you'll fit in flawlessly with the rest of the family"** Izzy sighed, doing her best not to roll her eyes, Alice had enough going on to stop and deal with her issues. And it was a good thing her mind was so busy with everything else, for once, Izzy wasn't hounded for answers and details. Ignoring Ms. Moody, the little pixie beamed with pride as she looked her over, sorta the way Michelangelo would after finishing a master piece **"Perfection"** she clapped **"Now go on" **she shooed Izzy away **"Go mingle, keep an eye on the guys, and make sure everything goes impeccably"**

"**Will do"** Izzy said with a hint of a smile, the best she could come up with.

The Cullen house was the last place Izzy wanted to be. Things with Bella had been cleared up, well sorta, Izzy stood quietly as Bella gave a long speech about letting bygones be bygones, starting fresh, and trying to be a family, for Edward and the rest of the Cullens. The truth was they were never gonna be friends, and getting ready for the girl's wedding, just a few doors down from her, had been Rosalie and Alice's idea, not Izzy's. But being family many times meant doing things you don't wanna do, all because your loved ones need that from you.

Her legs felt like heavy boulders as she made her way down the hall. The past two weeks had been hell on her, emotionally, but evidently it was starting to take its toll on her, physically.

No one had heard from Jake. And though she, Billy, and the guys, knew he had made the choice to leave, it was extremely hard not to know how he was doing. The daily reminders of his absence were not only in her mind, but in her face everywhere she went. When Charlie had found out Jake was gone, he'd wallpapered every inch of the town with 'have you seen this boy?' flyers. Billy asked him not to, but he didn't listen. Thanks to that, no matter where Izzy went, Jake's picture was there to remind her he was gone, and that she didn't know where he was, or when he would be coming back. Her eating and sleeping patterns were all over the place, her defenses were low, and she felt like shit. But could you blame her?

Those who knew the truth, went outta their way to comfort her and be there for her, those who didn't, but cared about her, tried their best to not ask questions and just be supportive, but everyone else, they either gave her the pity look of 'poor girl whose boyfriend is missing' or the blaming look of 'wonder if she had anything to do with it'. Sometimes she just felt like balling up in her bed and hiding under the covers.

The scent of orange blossoms, lilac, freesia, and roses hit her nose as soon as she neared the top of the stairs. The ceremony part of the wedding would be inside, timed perfectly to end at sunset, where everyone would go outside to enjoy the reception. Alice had made sure the living room was overflowing with flowers and candles, and though she wasn't in the mood to be there, Izzy had to admit the scene was beautiful.

There were a few guests already lingering around, including a few vampires. Going down the main stairway, where the bride would be making her great descend, seemed so wrong. Quickly, she made her way down the back stairs, and over to Esme's side, who was hanging out with Japer. She looked spectacular in a black satin dress, and he incredibly handsome in an impeccable tux. As soon as Izzy stood between them, a wave of calm and relaxation washed over her, compliments of Jasper, who gave her a small smile.

"Thank you" she mouthed to him, getting a small nod in return.

Looking around the room, her attention was called when Esme squeezed her hand gently. Jasper's wave of calm got stronger, and it was easy to see why, a group of vampires was walking their way.

"**Time to introduce you"** Esme smiled in a whisper. Izzy took a deep breath. Getting introduced as part of a vampire family, to another vampire family, when you're only a human, not a feeling you could describe easily.

All four vampires had golden eyes, sign they were 'vegetarian', no need to fret, but it was still a little intimidating. A beautiful strawberry blonde, obviously the head of the coven, was walking ahead of the rest. A step behind was another woman with pale blond hair as straight as corn silk, her facial features very similar to the other, Izzy wouldn't have been surprised to find out they were sister. Just behind them was a couple, and though they were pale as all vampires were, there slight olive tone to their marble skin, their facial features and dark hair made it easy to see they were of Latin descend.

"**Welcome, Tanya"** Esme smiled, giving the strawberry blonde a hug.

"**Its been too long"** Tanya smiled, returning the embrace.

"**Kate"** Esme greeted the pale blonde

"**Our apologies for our past behavior"** Kate said a bit sheepishly. Obviously she meant for leaving the Cullens hanging during the fight with the newborns.

"**Don't mention it"** Esme waved it off.

By the look Jasper shared with Izzy, he still hadn't gotten over their 'past behavior' as they had put it. She could totally understand. Whether it was due to his feelings, or because Jasper in general made people a bit uneasy, the vampires' greetings towards him were just head nods, which he returned respectfully.

"**You look like a proud mama"** the dark haired female vampire beamed as she hugged Esme **"I'm so happy for your Edward"**

"**As are we, Carmen"** Esme smiled **"I can't tell you how happy we are"**

"**You're finally all paired off"** the dark haired male vampire smiled, kissing Esme's hand.

"**Took long enough"** Jasper smirked in a whisper, causing Izzy to giggle.

Record scratch. Her giggle instantly had 8 golden eyes on her, all wide as saucers. Esme took a step back and took Izzy's left hand, squeezing it a little for reassurance.

"**I'd like you all to meet the newest addition to our family"** she smiled **"This is Izzy" **A smile seemed like the thing to do.** "Izzy, this is Tanya, Kate, Carmen, and Eleazar" **Esme waved her hand in the appropriate direction as she said their names.

Tanya was the first to shake her hand, and the way she looked from Izzy to Jasper, it was easy to see she had hundreds of questions, and was probably making all the wrong assumptions.

"**Hello, Izzy"** Tanya smiled. Though she hid it immediately, her golden eyes went wide as she got a look of the Cullen crest on her bracelet. **"Family, huh? That would make us…cousins"**

"**My family just keeps getting bigger and bigger"** Izzy joked.

Kate didn't say anything, just stared as she shook her hand. Carmen smiled widely, giving her a hug the same way she had done with Esme, Izzy smiled, returning the hug. She really liked her.

Eleazar took her hand, bowing slightly as he kissed her hand. **"Un gusto" **he smiled **"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, senorita" **

You can't help but blush at that kind of gesture. Old fashioned or not, it was incredibly gallant.** "El gusto es mio" **she smiled.

The couple seemed pleased and bit impressed to hear her perfect Spanish. But Tanya, well, the questions in her made her look like she was about to blow. She was only able to hold it in so long.

"**How exactly does she fit into your family, Esme?"** The look she got in return made her backtrack a bit "**If I may ask"**

"**She **_**is**_** family" **Jasper answered.

"**As in…?"**Kate seemed to be placing the pieces of the puzzle together.

"**Biologically?" **Carmen said with a bit of shock. Understandable since most of them were centuries old.

"**Who's?" **Tanya asked as all of them looked at Izzy with amazement and curiosity. Gotta say, odd feeling to be looked at that way. Especially by vamps.

"**Oh, do not tell me" **Eleazar chuckled, riveted by an enigma** "Let me see…" **giving Izzy a good look over **"…tall, dark curls, lovely green eyes?" **he smiled, doing the addition in his head** "I believe it could only be from our strong friend Emmett"**

"**That's right, my man" **Emmett clapped Eleazar's back as he zoomed over. With his usual ear-to-ear smile, he walked over to place his big arm over Izzy's shoulders.** "She's my…many greats granddaughter"**

"**Wow" **Tanya breathed** "We weren't aware any of you had living relatives"**

"**Neither were we" **Izzy mumbled under her breath.

As Esme huddled up with her 'cousins', giving them the story of how Emmett had discovered Izzy was related to him, Emmett pulled her aside. His big smiled disappeared as he looked her over.

"**Are you ok?"**

It seemed a little dumb to state the obvious, but it was clear he was actually worried.

"**I'm not exactly happy to be here"** she sighed **"But I'll get through it, just throw something at me to clue me in when to smile and clap at the right moments, ok"**

His lips lifted slightly at the corner, a hint of a smile **"Not what I meant" **He got serious again. **"You're looking a little pale"**

"**Then I'll fit right in with the fam"** she smirked. He didn't find it funny. She took a deep breath **"I haven't exactly been sleeping or eating much lately, ok" **Admitting it out loud had her eyes instantly filling with tears, threatening to spill. She did her best to try blinking them away. Emmett's icy arms were wrapped tightly around her almost instantaneously, as if he wished he could protect her from the pain. Jasper was at her side at once, doing his thing, making her feel better. **"I'll be ok" **she said against the cold chest **"I'll be take a b-12 shot or something"**

Taking a step back, she looked into Emmett's golden eyes and knew what was gonna happen next. She was on her way to Carlisle's office before she realized she was moving.

"**There's no time"** she argued **"We can do this later. Like **_**after**_** the wedding"**

"**Plenty of time" **was all Emmett said as he dragged her down the hall.

There was no use arguing any further, it wouldn't have made a difference, he would've thrown her over his shoulder and carried her there if he had to. At least walking on her own allowed her to keep a little bit of her dignity as she convinced herself she was willingly going. No one was fooled, they both knew she was being forced.

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

He was halfway home before realizing where his paws were taking him. Telling himself the date was just a coincidence was useless, he knew damn well what day it was, same way he knew why he was going back. It was the last day his best friend would be alive, it was the last day she would be human, it was the last day she would ever be his best friend. He had to say goodbye.

Closure is needed to move on. Or at least that's what he read somewhere. He wasn't aware how much he needed closure until a pang of terror hit the pit of his stomach, dreading he wouldn't make it back on time.

A knot formed on his throat as the scents of home hit his nose, the salty scent of the ocean at First Beach, the earthy scents of his woods, where his brothers' scents lingered, the sweet scent that stayed behind where the Cullens usually ran, the lovely scent of honeysuckle that belonged to only one person in the world, even the air smelled different at home, jus like… home.

The pack was behind him as soon as his thoughts began to get near. They were all happy he was back, glad he was ok, but they knew better than to think directly at him, they just followed, knowing well where he was heading. There was only one wolf that would disobey Sam's orders to let Jake be, the fact that his voice wasn't in the crowd, meant the kid wasn't with them.

Showing up at Bella's wedding was either gonna be really good, or really, really bad. Either way, the pack felt they need to be there. Especially if it went bad.

When your senses of smell and hearing are as acute as the wolf's, they could tell you many things before you can see them. There were more vampires around, other than the Cullens that is, there were unknowing humans around as well, meaning there were appearances to keep up, there were a lot of flowers, a lot of food too, and the music was straight from a Fred Astaire movie, Jake could just imagine what the party looked like, penguin suits, lots of sparkly gowns, uptight and as much fun as the Ballet.

The white canopy was the first thing that came into sight, twinkling lights, and tons of flowers. Someone was playing the piano in the corner, couples were dancing, or attempting to, and though Bella and Edward were among the couples, his eyes focused elsewhere. Izz was sitting with Seth, in a table with Emmett and Blondie. She was leaning against the kid's arm, her head resting on his shoulder.

Though Jake was hiding under the blanket of darkness the woods offered, Izz looked up, directly in his direction. She cupped her hands around Seth's ear and whispered something. The kid turned in his direction and nodded. Phasing back, pulling on his filthy shorts, human for the first time in over two weeks, Jake stepped out of the darkness, enough for Izz to see him and give him a smile that warmed him from head to toe.

"I love you" he mouthed

She nodded before mouthing back "I love you more"

… ***** … ***** … ***** …

If it wasn't for Seth's hand holding her back, Izzy would've ran to Jake. And probably jumped him too. Ok, not the ladylike thing to do, especially when your mother, brother, and possibly future father-in-law are present, but that's what she _wanted_ to do, not what she would've done, maybe. Of course Izzy was not the only one who became aware of Jake's arrival, by the smile Billy gave her, he too knew, as did Edward, who was dancing Bella over to where Jake was, obviously the reason why Seth had held Izzy back.

Izzy was like any other teenage girl. Did she want to know what he and Bella had to say to each other? Most definitely! But she had to give him his space, he, like everyone else, needed his closure to move on, and she was not the one who was gonna get in the way of that.

All vampires became aware of Jake's presence. Not to mention the fact that the darkness in the woods suddenly became a bit crowded, but appearances were above everything else to them, they pretended to go on with the partying as if nothing was going on, thought their senses were definitely on high alert.

Bella jumped into Jake's arms, and it was impossible not to notice the slight sting in Edward's face, same one in Izzy felt in her chest. She wasn't aware she was digging her nails into poor Seth's arm until she felt the warm drop of his blood drip down her fingers. She looked at him apologetically but he shrugged, having been completely unaware she had done any damage.

Alice floated over, dragging Seth to the dancefloor. Considering the kid was over a foot and half taller than the pixie, their sight was a hilarious one. When Izzy turned around, Edward was walking over with a smile, holding out his hand to her as he got closer. She'd waltzed a few times in her life, she'd been in a few quinceaneras, but she wouldn't consider herself good at it. But a dance with the groom is customary so she stood up anyways.

Glancing over to the far corner, Jake was dancing with Bella as they had a deep conversation. Of course that was the reason she would be dancing with Edward. They both needed the distraction.

Dancing with Edward was like floating on air, he did all the work, spinning her around the dancefloor, gracefully whirling her, making her look like she could totally win the disco ball in DWTS. The song was over and though she thought he would take her back to her chair, the twirling continued. They were halfway through the second song when Edward's body tensed, his head snapping in Jake and Bella's direction. They were arguing. Izzy sighed. Deep down she knew that would happen. She hoped it didn't, but she knew it would. Not caring about appearances, Edward zoomed over to Bella's side, with Izzy in tow. Seth right behind them.

Jake's hands were planted on Bella's shoulders, shaking her. From what Izzy could tell, he was bugging out over her honeymoon with Edward. A human with a vampire, getting freaky, was pretty much a suicide, according to the Cullens, reason Jake was having an aneurysm over it. Her becoming a vampire to be with Edward, that was a given, he was getting used to the idea, but her trying to do something that would kill her for good, as in 6 feet deep, that he obviously couldn't handle.

"**Take your hands off her!" **Edward hissed, his voice cold and sharp.

Low snarling and grunting was heard coming from the dark within woods. The pack was there too. There had been antagonism to spear within Edward and Jake, but the look in Jake's eyes was now of pure hatred.

"**Jake, bro, back away "** Seth urged **"You're loosing it"**

"**Now!" **Edward snarled

"**Jake!" **Izzy urged.

If Jake lost it, many would get hurt, and the idea panicked Izzy. Her voice seemed to snap him out of it enough to get him to realize what he was doing, his hand dropped to his sides, though the trembling didn't stop.

As Edward took Bella back a few feet, hiding her behind him as she cried, Seth wrapped his arm around Jake's shaking body, tugging him away. Izzy walked from behind Edward and up to Jake, placing her hands on his chest, helping Seth along the way. For a split second, his eyes focused on her, and everything she ever loved about him flashed through them, but as they turned back to Edward, they burned with fury.

"**I will kill you" **he whispered **"I'll kill you myself! I'll do it now!"**

It was obvious there was a whole lot of things Jake was telling Edward mentally, and whatever they were, they were definitely getting to him. Edward shrunk back a bit, and Jake shuddered convulsively, to the point he was nothing but a blur.

"**Seth, Izz, get out the way"** Edward hissed.

Jake was so overtaken with rage, Seth and Izzy were able to yank him back a few feet farther.

"**Don't do it, Jake" **Seth's voice was almost a plead **"Walk away. C'mon"**

Knowing how close Jake was to completely loosing it, Sam growled sharply as he jumped from outta the darkness, pushing his nose into Izzy's side, urging her to move outta the way. Not happening.

"**Jake" **she grunted as she pushed farther** "Jake, c'mon" **a few inches but he wasn't budging** "Jacob!" **her voice urging him to snap out of it. His eyes slowly lowered until she captured them **"What are you doing?"**

"**He's gonna kill her" **There was so much pain, frustration and impotence in his dark eyes, she couldn't be angry at him. He was a protector, and he couldn't protect his best friend. Problem was she didn't wanna be protected.

Though Seth was still doing his best to push him back, and Sam was poking her ribs with his nose, trying to get _her_ to move away, neither of them were budging.

"**You need to let go, Jake. From the moment she learned what he was, accepted it, and decided to stay with him, she knew her life would be in constant danger. She's ok with that, she **_**wants**_** that, She made that decision a **_**long**_** time ago. Nothing you could've done, nothing you do, nothing you could **_**ever**_** do will ever change her mind. It's her life, and if she decides to risk it, to change it, or to end it all together, right or wrong, she has that right" **He was so blurry, she could no longer tell if it was due to his trembling, or her tears **"You can't save someone who doesn't wanna be saved, Jacob"**

He looked over at Edward and Bella before retuning his eyes to her. Cupping her face, he kissed her lips softly. With a giant leap backwards, Jake was gone, in his place was a giant russet wolf. Quil and Embry jumped out from behind the trees, forming a barrier between Jake and the rest. Izzy inhaled deeply. She knew that look in his eyes. She had seen it once before. The tears she'd been fighting so hard to hold in, came rushing out. Seth took a hold of her elbows, holding her up, pretty sure she couldn't do it on her own, which at that point, she couldn't.

"**Izzy"** Edward was suddenly at her side, watching as Sam, Quil and Embry guided Jake out into the trees **"He's going to leave"**

"**I know" **she whispered. That kiss was the only goodbye she was gonna get. He was leaving. And not for two weeks.

"**Two words"** he whispered. Of course the mind-reading vamp would know. Her mind wasn't always clear to him, but Carlisle's was crystal **"Two words and he doesn't leave"**

In wolf from, the pack could hear each other's thoughts, desires, fantasies, regrets, everything that ever went through their minds. Now that Jake had phased, they knew exactly what he was gonna do, and by the howls, grunts, and growls, they weren't happy about it. Of course they would try to stop him. The loss of a brother, even a voluntary one, hurt them all.

But Jake wasn't thinking about any of that. He wasn't thinking of all the emotions his father, his sisters, his friends, his pack, Izzy, everyone who cared for him went through, or what his departure meant and did to them. He didn't think about how much they missed him, or how they worried not knowing where he was, or if he was safe, the frustration that filled them knowing he was hurting and they couldn't do anything about it. He didn't care about any of that. All he cared about what his emotions, his anger, his fury, his impotence, his pain, his loss. He was only thinking about himself. And as much as Izzy loved him, it was time to love herself more. Her tears rapidly became tears of anger.

The wolves had reached the edge of the forest, a circle formed around Jake, probably making sure he didn't make a run for it.

"**Let him go!" **Her words cut through all the noise, ending it immediately, causing every eye to turn to her, including Jake's. She looked directly into them as she spoke **"If he's decided nothing here, is worth him staying for, then its best if he leaves"**

The brief second of silence, seemed to last an agonizing eternity. Finally, with a grunt from Sam, the wolf circle around Jake dispersed.

Ignoring them all, Jake focused on Izzy. Their eyes locked, holding in tears that would soon escape. There they stood for a motionless moment. So many things could've happened. None did. Still holding her eyes, he let out an ear-splitting howl that chilled her core.

Last thing Izzy remembered, was watching her massive russet wolf disappear into the darkness of the woods…


	37. Epilogue

December 31, 2006

As she stood at the edge of the cliff, mesmerized by the way the large snowflakes made their descent, graciously floating until they hit the choppy ocean water below, becoming a part of it, Izzy sent silent prayers of gratitude to the sunset skies above.

The storm was over, and all that was left was serenity. Her loved ones had united, their friendship, their accord, and the help of others willing to be a part of that, conquered the enemy. The Volturi knew there was no element of surprise, they found out the fear and intimidation they had counted on ended up being useless, and they learned going against friends who were ready to die and kill for one another, was going into a battle they had already lost. They had no choice but to back off. Swallowing their pride and arrogance, they left knowing they had finally met their match.

Tying her caramel-brown coat a little tighter, she laughed to herself, her loose curls twirling in the breeze as the winter winds hit her. Who would've guessed the Cullens and the pack would become friends? That they would be having New Year's dinner together? Who would've guessed Bella and Izzy would become like sisters? That her daughter, Nessie, would be calling her Aunt Izzy? Not Izzy, that's for sure. How things could change in 4 months. Bonding over similarities could do that to people.

The sound of rapid footsteps made her roll her eyes. If she hadn't known by then which one of them it was, the little girly squeal narrowed it down.

"**What are you doing here?"** Seth remarked. Nessie was smiling away as she sat on his shoulders, her chubby little hands full of his hair, from which she was holding on to. Izzy smiled at them. Everyone had been shocked when Seth imprinted on Nessie, but Edward claimed the kid had the purest mind he'd ever heard, and he'd be happy to call him a son some day. Bella wasn't as calm and accepting about it. Lets say a wicked vampire-werewolf fight between Bella and Leah nearly destroyed Esme's living room. But eventually, and luckily for Seth, everything worked out. But at the moment, the usually happy-go-lucky Seth was frowning. He'd been given the job of babysitter, and he had obviously failed **"If they find out you're out here, Imma…"**

It was too late. You would've thought a stampede was coming through the way a mob of wolves, and a vampire, rushed over. If it was up to them, Izzy would be locked away at home, carried everywhere if she had to move. She was _so_ not having that.

Embry and Emmett were the ones who rushed up the cliff, Sam, Paul, Jared, Quil, Leah, and the pups stayed behind, giving her 'you are in so much trouble' glares. D and Leah would be getting married in February, a triple wedding along with Sam and Emily, and Paul and Rachel, yeah, Jake's sister, go figure. Of course Sam and Paul would continue to wolf it, but Leah was gonna give it up, in efforts of hopefully starting a family.

It was so hard to look at her beloved wolves and not think of the missing link. She missed him so much.

As soon as Jake had made the decision to leave, breaking away from the pack, his thoughts became silent to everyone else but Sam. Becoming his own pack, Jake became an alpha. Alpha's from different packs can hear each other's thoughts, but only when they want, same way a normal conversation is held. No one had seen Jake since the wedding in August, as far as hearing from him, last time Sam got an update was in October, only telling him he was fine and to let his dad know. Sam tried to talk to him, but only got silence in return.

Izzy's hopes of his return had faded away. Did she wish he would return? With all her heart. But she knew that was not gonna happen. Still hurt to think about it though. Jake left taking her heart with him. She never got it back.

"**What the hell!"** Emmett scolded as he ran up

"**Its cold, its snowing, and you decided to climb up slippery rocks?" **Embry added

"**Seriously, Izz!" **Emmett threw his arms in the air.

If she would've had something to throw at them, she would've. It was bad enough they had her wearing all terrain shoes from the moment the first hint of snow rolled around, they had gotten her the most expensive winter coat available, and they made the decision, without consulting her, that she needed a babysitter, now they wanted to treat her like she was 5.

"**She was gone when I got there"** Seth explained.

Embry rolled his eyes, Emmett looked from Nessie to him and cocked his brow. Seth was not getting the picture.

"**Don't you think she needs to be inside?"** Embry clued the kid in.

"**Oh, right"** Seth nodded **"Laters"** grabbing a good hold on Nessie's little legs, he began to run off **"Sorry, Izz"**

"**Bye, Aunt Izzy!" **Nessie giggled.

Though Seth was as protective as the rest, he was a lot more lenient when it came to letting her do things. He was cool with going out on walks, or hanging out at the cliff, or going for a drive to Port Angeles, or even Seattle. As long as Nessie was with them. The rest, not so much. And that was just the guys, Rosalie, Alice and Esme, they were ten times worse. It was nice to be loved and worried over, but lord, couldn't they love her just a little less?

"**Could you please spare me the sermon"** Izzy smirked sarcastically before the guys had a chance to get snapping **"I just needed a moment alone, ok, you know, without a babysitter. I'm ok so no need to fret. No foul no harm"**

"**For real?" **Embry snapped

"**I don't know if you remember that far back, but there was a mob of asshole vampires wanting to kill us around here not so long ago. Ring a bell?" **Emmett added with the same sarcastic tone she had given them.

"**Just cause they backed off, don't mean they've given up and left" **Embry shook his head, like he couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that "**Not for certain, not yet anyway"**

"**Izz, you're a human…"**

"**No? Really?"**

Emmett ignored her smart-ass remark and went on **"…your scent is the mixture of sweet blood, vampire, and werewolf. That's like a giant neon sign for vampires that reads 'drink me!' Especially right now!"**

She could tell they were prepared to get on one of their frenzies. She was so not in the mood to here it. And as Embry had pointed out earlier, it was cold and snowing. A nice, toasty fire and hot chocolate sounded like heaven at the moment.

"**Ok, ok"** she waved her hands in surrender **"I'm sorry. Won't happen again" **she smiled giving them her best puppy dog eyes "**Can we go home, now. I'm hungry, and I believe we have a massive new year's dinner to devour"**

"**That we do" **Embry smiled, placing one arm around her back, and the other under her knees, carrying her bridal style.

"**I'll run ahead"** Emmett smiled **"Let'em know you're coming" **Due to space, the dinner was gonna be held at the Cullen house. Crazy, right? Kissing her forehead, he zoomed off before stopping and zooming back **"Not a word to Rose about this, ok?" **he warned them, locking his eye son her **"She'd kick my ass if she knew you were out here and I didn't know"**

Embry and Izzy let out loud laughs as Emmett became a blur, rushing away. The thought of bigger than life, tough as nails, vampire Emmett, getting his ass kicked by his girl, well it was down right hilarious.

"**I got her!"** Embry yelled out to the pack** "Vamp central in thirty"**

"**Vamp central"** she snickered. Of course she knew it was their nickname for the Cullen house, but it always made her laugh to hear them say it.

With a sharp nod from Sam, off they went, leaving Izzy and Embry alone. Everyone else avoided the subject of their missing wolf. Embry did not. Like her, he missed his boy and wasn't ashamed to admit it. He was the only one Izzy could break down to, knowing he totally understood.

"**Almost five months"** he stated, slowly making his way down the cliff. Though he had the grace of a ballerina, he always behaved that way when she was with him. She'd swear they thought she was made outta papier-mâché.

"**Yeah"** she sighed** "I know"**

"**Why don't you let Sam talk to him"** He'd asked him that a million times already. He'd always gotten the same answer, but he still asked. Embry would truly be Jake's best friend to the very end **"He can hear him. If Sam…"**

"**No**" she shook her head **"If he comes back, it should be because this is where he wants to be, not because he is guilted into coming back"**

The long sigh was of defeat. He knew what the answer was gonna be, but he wouldn't be Embry if he didn't go up to bat for his bro. Same way he would continue to try again, probably several times.

"**Any new year's resolutions?"** he asked, clearly changing the subject to something a little lighter

"**To keep my name outta people's mouths"** she chuckled.

"**Yeah"** he half-smiled **"That'd be nice"** After a thoughtful moment, he smirked. **"So much changed this year. I can't possibly imagine what the new year's gonna bring us"**

"**Its gonna change my life, that's for sure**"

They laughed so hard, her sides hurt. When they got to the Cullen house, everyone was already there. Her mom, her brothers, the pack, the Cullens, Charlie, Sue, Billy. Everyone she cared about was under one roof, happy and smiling.

Everyone minus one. Embry, Billy, Bella, and Izzy looked at each other and shared the same sad smile, feeling the same little pang. Tears filled her eyes, but she'd done enough crying recently. With a deep breath, she blinked the tears away.

Destiny had taken her there, where she needed to be, where she was meant to be. She looked around the room and smiled. She didn't know what destiny had in store for her next, but with all those lovely souls by her side, she knew everything was gonna be just fine.

"**LETS EAT!"** the pack howled, causing the house to erupt in laughter and hollering.

Yeah, this was exactly where she was destined to be…

… ***** … ***** … ***** … ***** … ***** … ***** … ***** …***** … ***** …

Yes, Destiny is over…notice there was no "THE END"? Those of you who've read my stories before, you know how I do it lol…the sequel FATE is just around the corner…


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